Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Chapter 3

It was a few days later that Harry awoke to find his room empty. It seemed that Severus was finally convinced that Harry was steadily getting better, and had retired to his own room for some much needed rest.

Grateful for the moment of silence to think to himself, Harry sat up and looked around curiously. The fire was almost burnt out, the embers glowing softly in the hearth and there was a sprinkling of ash on the carpet.

There were a few signs that the room had once been Malfoy's before Harry had suddenly shown up. Some texts from sixth year were stacked neatly on a bookshelf, they were rather used in appearance and Harry studied them from where he sat, trying to remember if Malfoy was as studious as the wear on the tombs seemed to suggest. It was odd to think of Malfoy as actually working to gain anything in his life, but, it seemed now that he was studying quite intently.

For a moment Harry wondered what would happen to Malfoy, would he try to go back to Hogwarts and finish his schooling? Would he attempt to find and job, and if he did, what jobs were available for reluctant Death Eaters?

Sighing at the memories he'd rather not think about so early in the morning, Harry stretched out his legs and tested them for aches and pains. The last couple of days had been filled with salves and potions, some to drink and others to be massaged into the bruised skin. Harry had become quite acquainted with the schedule he and Severus had developed over the course of his time in the cottage.
It had been surprisingly easy to discuss the multiple cuts and bruises, malnutrition and other infirmities that had caused him such difficulty. Stretching out his toes, Harry let them brush against the thick carpet and then cautiously pressed them into the floor.

Mandatory bed rest had never suited Harry, not while he was stuck in the Hogwarts Infirmary and not now that he was an adult.

The morning light seemed to beckon him into action, coaxing him out of bed, and Harry was happy to oblige. He had seen so little of the house that he may have once called home, and his curiosity wouldn't be stifled any longer.

Biting his lip, Harry pulled himself up using the tall bed post and tested his weight. It was amazing how his body seemed to doubt itself now at even the smallest of movements. The Death Eaters had done their best to take not only his health, but also his self-confidence.

"Come on, get a hold of yourself," Harry scolded his legs as they shook a little from holding up his weight.

From sheer determination alone, Harry managed to steady one foot on the floor and took small steps until he reached the doorway. Sharp pains ran up his legs, and Harry was realizing that perhaps he was not nearly so ready for the journey after all.

Gritting his teeth, Harry opened the door slowly and made his painful progress out of the room and through a dark hall.

Severus' house smelt like lavender, and when Harry reached the kitchen doorway, he could see why. Small bundles of the purple flowers hung drying from the ceiling beams, there was a great many of them and Harry forgot some of the pain he was in as he stared at them and around at the room.

What would life have been like if he'd grown up here? Would he perhaps have trailed behind Severus in their gardens, arms loaded down with herbs and lavender?

The thought was a far cry different from his time in his aunt's flower beds, roughly yanking out thorn covered weeds without gloves, and eagerly drinking from the water hose when the sun was at its hottest.

A rustle from the bedrooms back down the hall made Harry awake out of his melancholy thoughts.

Wanting to see more before he was discovered, Harry limped over to the window and gazed out with wide eyes. The yard was covered in a fine layer of snow and the morning sunlight caused everything white to glow with an ethereal light. To think, he'd been staring at a fire for days when he could have been gawking at this.

Squinting, Harry's eyes traced the slope of nearby hills, all covered with some snow and then turned hesitantly toward to the forest. The cottage was located on a hill, and only the tops of trees were visible from here. A shiver ran through Harry at the sight of them, dark gray and foreboding.

He'd had enough of woods to last him a lifetime.

Looking away, Harry made his way to the cabinets across the room, careful not to disturb the few bundles of herbs that hung lower than others. His mouth was almost painfully dry and he opened the nearest cabinet door hopefully. Instead of glasses, Harry found an assortment of biscuits that made him raise an eyebrow. He hadn't thought Severus would have a sweet tooth, but perhaps they were there for Malfoy, after all, he had been living here for at least a few weeks.

On the next shelf there was a neat row of canned vegetables in glass jars, and on the shelf after that there stood canned fruit. Their labels were written in Severus' spiky writing and Harry was once again surprised by how his perceptions were forced to change.

Forgiveness had come to Harry with surprising ease the more he understood about who his father truly was, and the sacrifices he had made. Altering the mental image of the man that had resided in his mind for so long, however, was a lot more difficult. Harry barely knew the man, and though he could understand the tough decisions he had made, imagining Severus canning his own produce was surprisingly difficult...and yet, it brought him a strange comfort.

Harry closed the cabinet slowly, his hand remaining on the warmly colored wood for a long moment as he breathed in the herb scented air. He found himself quite ready to learn more. It would be a challenge, but hadn't his life been a number of challenges, some seemingly impossible?

Harry turned, and forgetting his thirst, slid down the cabinets to sit down on the floor. Just for a moment, he would sit here in the quiet of the house and soak in the comforting atmosphere. Yes, he could see himself living here.
The last few months had been the worst of his existence, and looking back it seemed like someone else had been living his life, for surely, he wasn't strong enough to make it through all that and live to tell about it.

Now, spread out before him was a uncertain future, and if he was honest, it scared him.

Soft footsteps entering the kitchen caused Harry to look up. Draco was tiredly brushing a hand through his pale hair, but he stopped when his eyes met Harry's over the edge of the counter top. His face immediately tightened into a partial glare, though his eyes were curious.

"I hadn't realized you could walk yet," he said.

Harry looked down at himself in a self-criticizing manner. "I didn't get very far, as you can tell."

As Draco looked around the room, he seemed to be thinking rather hard about something, something he didn't like from the nasty expression on his face.

"Do you...need help?" The words came out slowly, and Harry blinked and wondered if he had convincingly covered his shock.

His expectations of Draco Malfoy were set rather low, and he wasn't sure what to do when the other man offered to help him, even unwillingly.

"I think I'll just sit here for another moment," Harry said, and then when Draco's face grew dark, he added quietly, "I'd probably fall on you if I tried to get up now, my legs are pretty shaky."

The admission seemed to soothe Draco's temper and he nodded before looking around the kitchen again.

"Have you been in here long?"

"I don't think so, I just couldn't stay in that room any longer. It was starting to feel a bit claustrophobic, plus I haven't been in any of the other rooms in this house--not while I was conscious at least. I wanted some water, but couldn't find where Severus keeps his cups."

A weird look came over Draco's face, and Harry thought he knew why. He'd probably be wondering when Harry and Severus decided to use each other's first names, that must have been a bit odd to him.

Being careful not to step on Harry, Draco moved to a cabinet Harry hadn't tried and fetched a tall glass which he then filled with water at the sink.

"Here," he said quietly, but not unkindly to Harry as he held out the cup in a steady hand.

It hung there between them for a second longer than was comfortable, just because it was so surprising. Draco's face started to look strained and Harry reached out quickly to take the cup, trying to make sure his gratefulness was clear on his face.

"Thank you."

Draco nodded uncomfortably and moved to walk out of the room. Suddenly not wanting to be alone, especially after they seemed to be on the verge of an understanding, Harry grasped at something to say.

"I don't have it with me--" Harry stopped when Draco turned his head, eyes narrowed. "Your wand, I mean, it's at Hogwarts. I can send it to you by owl post when I leave here."

It was close to a peace offering, and Harry had awful images of Malfoy's face breaking into a snarl and ruining everything. But, Malfoy seemed too shocked to snarl. In fact, Harry had never seen him so surprised and he knew that he had done the right thing.

"Wands shouldn't travel by owl post, Potter," he said after a moment and sniffed delicately.

"Oh," Harry muttered, and looked down at his water glass. "Er, but I could bring it you?"

Draco crossed his arms, "That would be acceptable."

Smiling, Harry nodded and leaned his head back against the cabinets and closed his eyes in a pleased way. "Okay, then."

He could hear Draco shifting from one foot to the next, indecision was clear on his face when Harry opened his eyes to look at him curiously.

"Want to sit?" Harry offered.

Slowly, Draco moved next to Harry and sat with his long legs stretched out in front of him. He glanced at Harry sideways, crossed his ankles and looked at him again.

Sighing, Harry looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What is it, Malfoy? You don't have to sit here, you can leave."

"You look like Severus."

It was without a doubt, the absolute last thing Harry had expected to hear Malfoy say, and he didn't bother to hide his shock or close his gaping mouth.

"There was something so familiar about you, even though your face had changed. It took me a long minute to figure it out. But you can really see it in the eyebrows, and your mouth is thinner than it was before. Your nose is longer, though not as long as his. You have freckles now too, which Severus doesn't have, but your hair is...like his, it doesn't stand up like it used to.

They looked at each other, Draco with his mouth set in a firm line, daring in his eyes, and Harry stared back, desperately trying to think of a believable excuse.

"Potter, are you going to help me out here and tell me why?"

Harry swallowed and blinked. "What makes you think there's a reason for it? Maybe it's a coincidence." He carefully took a long swig of water.

Draco snorted and looked at him incredulously. "The man cleaned vomit off your face, he's been a completely different person since he found you--seriously, Potter, he went from being a bloody bastard to...to--whatever the hell this is."

Well, when it was put that way, Harry could see why Malfoy would be so certain that his features were more than just coincidence.

"Is he a relative of yours?" Malfoy continued, hands flying up the air as he leaned against the cabinets beside Harry, everything about his body language exasperated. "Come on, Potter, tell me. Is he a second cousin? A relative removed from your family tree that's been dying to get to know you but had to pretend to hate you because of the war?"

"Wow," Harry said humorously, his voice sounding a little strangled even to his own ears. "Have you been wondering for that long, or did you come up with a dramatic back story that quickly?"

Draco ignored him and continued on, "Don't try to dissuade me, Potter. Tell me, is he--"

"Malfoy, you really need a hobby, you've been cooped up here way too long!" A little water spilled over the edge of the glass as Harry gestured around the room with a wild movement.

Draco narrowed his eyes, "I'm a lot more observant than I used to be, Potter. Even if I wasn't, I'd still notice the difference. Hell, a blind person would notice that he doesn't hate you anymore. In fact, I think he rather likes you, and it's driving me bloody crazy wondering when that changed. He sure enough hated you before the Dark Lord was destroyed--so was it all an act, or what? You either tell me, or I'm going to go ask Severus--"

"He's my father!" Harry blurted.

Even the birds outside the window seemed to be shocked into silence, and Harry froze. He hadn't meant to say that; he didn't think it was completely his right to tell people without consulting Severus first. But, he couldn't really take it back now, and honestly, he didn't know if he wanted to.

Malfoy frowned at him, "You're hilarious, Potter."

He moved to stand up and Harry grabbed his ankle with a tight smile, "I am hilarious, took you long enough to notice; but I'm not joking about this. It's not something I would joke about."

Staring at him, Malfoy slowly leaned back, the wood creaking against his weight and Harry released his hold on him.

"Your...."

"Father, yes." Harry swallowed, "Though, I think that's the first time I've actually said it to someone else. Funny that the person is you."

Dazedly, Draco stared at him in disbelief and Harry waited patiently.

"Uh, has...has Severus just recently found out?"

Harry picked at the bandage on his wrist, the private nature of the conversation striking him quite suddenly.

"No, he's always known, even since before I came to Hogwarts. The spells and potions that changed my appearance faded over the past year."

"Snape is your father--but he...I always thought he hated you?"

Harry looked at Draco quickly, the smile on his face not reaching his eyes. "That was kind of the purpose for treating me like he did, so no one would know, and when Voldemort returned he'd still have his place amongst the ranks. There was a lot more to think about than just our personal relationship, even back then."

Harry watched the expressions that crossed Draco's face, and wondered if he was thinking about all those years spent in Potion's class, where he would laugh at Harry's expense when Severus scolded him and tore him down. Never once did the older man's true feelings shine through; it was truly incredible to think about how well he had hid his true nature.

"I couldn't know either," Harry continued. "There was no way I'd have been able to ignore trying to get to know him better, it would have been too risky. Imagine, learning you have a parent after thinking you were an orphan all of your life. I did too many risky things without needing that bit of info to spur me on. The war would have been over in a matter of minutes."

Draco nodded slowly. "And you grew up with your Muggle family, right?"

"Yes, my aunt from my mom's side and her family." Harry shrugged, "Guess there aren't any Potter's left, no one ever mentioned them to me, at least."

Harry wasn't about to go into some maudlin speech about his sad lack of family, and hoped Draco wouldn't ask too many questions about that.

"Someone has gone over your family lineage though, right?"

"Ancestry isn't really something most Muggles talk about, Malfoy."

The idea of someone only knowing a meager amount of history about their bloodline caused Draco to frown.

"That was part of my pre-Hogwarts schooling--everyone is taught their ancestry, are you sure you just didn't forget?"

Harry was amused. "Malfoy," he said in a dry tone, "I didn't even know my parents were murdered by Voldemort until I was eleven. Living with the Dursley's wasn't like living with a Wizarding family; hell, it wasn't like living with a family at all...."

His voice had trailed off and his eyes stared ahead at the lavender hanging from the ceiling.

"What was it like then?" Draco prompted a moment later, curious despite himself.

Harry flushed, his mind recalling nights of locked cupboard doors and his pitiful attempts to get attention.

"You want to hear about my childhood, really, Malfoy?"

"Do you have somewhere to be, scar head?"

The old insult surprised a laugh out of Harry, which caused Draco to smirk, but, Harry wasn't ready to share anything so hurtful as his odd childhood, and so he steered the conversation away with a sigh.

"I wonder what it would have been like to grow up here."

Draco followed Harry's eyes around the kitchen, and then he chuckled a little. "You would have been much better at Potion's, most likely."

Harry winced at the memories and Draco chuckled before asking another question.

"I think it would have taken me longer to see the similarities between you both, if you'd had your glasses on. What happened to them?

"Oh, they were broken--trampled actually, but it doesn't matter. I can see just fine now."

It took Draco a moment to understand, and when he did, and awkward look came over his face.

"Ah...the er, Snape's genes don't include bad eyesight?"

Harry chuckled, "You catch on quite fast, Malfoy."

Shaking his head, Malfoy stood up. "It's weird to think about, and I have more questions than answers. Perhaps if I wasn't so hungry I could process this better. I'm going out to the garden, do you need help getting up?"

"No, I'll manage, thanks."

A few minutes later, Harry leaned against the countertops, panting slightly and hoping that Malfoy wouldn't return to see him unconscious on the floor. "Merlin, Potter, you're in worse shape than Ron's aunt Muriel," Harry said to himself.

"But decidedly less foul in nature and appearance, thank the heavens."

Harry turned his head sharply at the low remark from the kitchen doorway. Severus was watching his sad attempts to remain standing with a guarded look, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"You're just saying that because we look alike," Harry said daringly and Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I assure you, I wasn't thinking about our similarities at all, but of our differences." His voice was still quiet and a solemnity in his eyes caused Harry to straighten up.

"Like what?"

Moving into the room, Severus grabbed a chair and placed it next to Harry.

"Searching for compliments? At least we do seem to share the same amount of determination. I do, however, wish you would take into account your recently healed injuries, as you may have undone any progress I've made in healing you just for a cup of water. Sit down and let me see how much damage you've done."

Chagrined, Harry sat carefully and watched as Severus knelt on one knee and picked up his foot with a frown on his face.

"They don't hurt very much," Harry said quietly, trying not to move as careful fingers ran over the tender skin on the bottom of his foot.

"I wish you had asked me before you bounded around the house prematurely."

Though his tone was stern, it wasn't nearly as harsh as Harry had grown to expect, it was almost touching because he knew the sternness came from concern. And wasn't that an odd thing, to have someone look at you with fatherly concern? Harry hadn't experienced that in quite some time, and he didn't know how to react.

"Sorry," Harry said honestly, and Severus met his eyes before placing his foot down. "I just wanted to see your house, it feels like I've been in the same space for a long time--and truthfully, I was just very curious."

Nodding, Severus looked over the other foot and then stood. "Some things, it seem, never do change. You were exceedingly curious even before you came to Hogwarts."

"Would you...would you show me? I mean, not if you don't want to, but I'd like to see those situations that you had to erase from my mind, I don't remember them all."

Harry didn't expect the hand that landed on his shoulder, but it made some of his nervousness fade away and gave him the courage to look up.

"Of course, the memories are rightfully yours."

Harry smiled slightly and though Severus didn't exactly smile back, he looked quite content.

.............................. ............

Draco stopped still when he entered the room to find both Harry and Severus looking at him.

"Draco, explain to me how it is that you saw the extent of damage done to Potter's feet, and yet when you foolishly found him wandering around, you didn't immediately force him back to bed?"

Draco blinked at the tone of Severus' voice and then narrowed his eyes intently.

"Perhaps if you had raised him to have a little more common sense, you wouldn't be having these issues now."

Severus was noticeably startled , and Draco smirked in a self satisfied manner before continuing with an air of detached interest.

"Though, honestly Severus, you haven't been the best role model. Spying on the Dark Lord for years, constantly placing yourself at the mercy of a madman--and yet, you wonder why your own son places so little value on his own health. You know how the world famous idiom goes; the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Harry winced a little when Severus spun away from Malfoy to stare at him, an indecipherable look on his face.

"You told him?"

Harry shrugged apologetically. "He figured it out."

Draco grasped his head, fingers steepled on both sides of his temples, then closed his eyes and said seriously, "I'm going to attempt to ingrain your current expression into my permanent memory."

Severus ignored Draco, his eyes still on Harry.

"You...you aren't mad, are you?" Harry asked, his voice almost too quiet to hear.

"No," Severus said, crossing his arms. "Not mad, though I think it would be wise not to tell too many souls considering the current state of the Wizarding World...I am a little surprised that you did not try harder to keep the matter secret. I had not thought you'd be so keen to reveal the truth so suddenly."

"I understand why I shouldn't go to the Daily Prophet with it, you're already in danger, letting people know you're my...my father wouldn't do anything but make you a more interesting target. But, I don't see why Malfoy here can't know anything about it, he's not likely to blab."

Draco tried to decipher the look on Severus's face. "You thought he'd be ashamed of you."

"Ashamed?" Harry said in amazement, he stood up and leaned heavily against the counter top. "I'd be rather barmy if I thought you were anything to be ashamed of. Especially now that I know--"

"Well," Severus said, not looking at Harry. "I haven't exactly done anything to improve my appearance as a good parent figure, there will be many that won't approve, and others who will suggest that your parentage is less than legitimate."

"What?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "They're going to think you're a bastard, Potter."

"Oh," Harry shrugged, "They've called me worse before, and what they think doesn't matter anyway. We know the truth, and I know what you've done for me and what you've sacrificed. I could never be ashamed of that."

Severus nodded after a moment, and then met Harry's eyes in a comfortable silence.

"Well," Severus said, "since you're so very determined to venture out of your room, you might as well sit at the table while Draco makes breakfast."

Draco frowned and watched as Severus offered to help Harry over to the dining room table.

"Is this some sort of payback for my 'apple doesn't fall far' comment? Because, if so, it's rather low. Cooking is for house elves, I nearly set the lavender on fire last time."

"Which is why you need more practice," Severus replied sternly and then smirked at Harry slightly while ignoring the grumbles from the blond.

"Tell me about the lavender, why so much of it?" Harry asked. Severus nodded and moved across the room to make tea for them all. Listening to his father's soft tone and the other homely noises that surrounded him, Harry realized that it was almost like being in the Weasley's kitchen.

Harry had loved his time there, surrounded with cheerful noise, warm food and a familiarity he had not often experienced.

The only difference between the Burrow and Severus' cottage was that Harry knew he could truthfully call this place home. It was a strange but welcome thought that filled him with warmth as the scent of warm bread filled his nose, and a cup of earl gray tea was placed by his hand.

"Are you alright?"

Harry blinked and looked up into his father's concerned eyes.

"Yeah, I am." Harry smiled a little, "For the first time in a long time, I really am."

Severus seemed to comprehend even the things Harry didn't speak out loud, and it was such a comfortable feeling to know that some things didn't have to be said to be understood.

They were finally free from the previous circumstances that had thus far dictated their lives. Neither of them were foolish enough to believe that the life that lay ahead of them would be perfect, or even ideal. But, for Harry, who still longed for the parent he'd never known, and for Severus who had given up on the idea of having a family of his own a long time ago, it was enough.

The End.
Chapter End Notes:
Yay! Don't they deserve a happy ending? Though there will be trials, can you imagine Ron and Hermione's reaction? I'd like to think that witnessing just how much Severus sacrificed will soften Draco's anger towards him, perhaps allow him to see the war from a different perspective so he can move on in life. My mom was canning pear preserves when I wrote this, and Severus suddenly became a self-sustaining man, haha! I don't think it is too far a reach though, there is something comforting about it to me. I imagine him and Harry in the garden, not speaking, just enjoying each other's company while being surrounded my greenery and life. Hope you enjoyed, I would love to hear your thoughts and constructive critism as I write to improve. Thank you for reading!

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