Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Dulcify

               The next morning, Severus found himself staring into the fireplace at the raging flames. It had been a very chilly morning and he decided some warmth would do nicely in his quarters. So far, it had been a very quiet Sunday morning, and Severus enjoyed the peace. He pulled out his fifth-year assignments he had collected Thursday and began grading them in his armchair. Anything to just relax after last night’s events.

               And yet, while grading, his thoughts strayed to Harry and the boy’s terrible relatives. How had he missed it? How had everyone missed it? Surely Albus was aware of what went on in the boy’s home . . . and if not, should he tell the man?

               It would seem like the right thing to do, but Severus had a feeling that Harry might not appreciate his telling the headmaster of his home life. Perhaps, it would be better to encourage the boy to tell Albus himself. He should probably have Minerva do that job, seeing how he had treated the boy last night. He would be surprised if Harry dared speak to him again – in class or outside of it. It was for the better, anyway. To have the boy at a distance. Severus still had a role to play, and if he was seen showing the slightest bit of sympathy for that insolent brat, he was sure to jeopardize more than just his cover.

               So then why couldn’t he get Harry’s situation out of his head? He really needed to focus on this essay he was trying to grade. Severus corrected some misspelled words in the paragraph he was reading, making a note on the side reminding the student to actually look at the word in the book as he spelled it. Honestly, where was the common sense in these students? After reading another decent paragraph, Severus’s mind strayed back to Harry once more.

               Perhaps it was because his situation had been so similar to Harry’s when he was a child. Perhaps it was because their attitudes towards the abuse were similar. Or maybe it was something more. Could it be that Severus only cared simply because Harry was Lily’s child?

               He was also that arrogant, selfish, overbearing Gryffindor’s child – James Potter. Severus clenched his teeth at the thought, trying to force the image of the man out of his mind and refocus back on the essay he was grading. He needed to just let this conflict with Harry roll off his shoulders and continue on with his life. Who knew getting too involved with Harry would complicate things so. But that was just like the Boy-Who-Lived, wasn’t it? He just had to be the center of everyone’s attention.

A knock on his office door pulled Severus from his thoughts. Sighing, he stood from his chair, walked through the hidden passage to his office and opened the door.

               Surprise, surprise. Just who he wanted to see – Harry Potter.  

               “What is it?” Severus snapped at the boy.

               Harry glared back at him before thrusting a package out to Severus.

               “Here!” Harry demanded. “Take them back. I don’t want them.”

               Severus recognized the package as the clothes he had bought Harry, once again magically packaged and sealed. Severus frowned down at the boy.

               “You foolish child. They are yours.”

               “I don’t want them!”

               “Quit acting like a five-year-old, Potter,” Severus growled, pushing the package back against Harry’s chest. “You need them, and I did not waste my money on perfectly suitable material just for you to throw them away.”

               “I’m not throwing them away. I’m giving them back. You can return them all and get your money back.”

               “I will do no such thing. You refused to have clothes from home sent to you and with the weather as it is here, there is hardly any point in you freezing to death simply because you were too stubborn to . . .”

               “I told you!” Harry all but shouted angrily. “I told you why I couldn’t have clothes sent to me! And I don’t need your charity!”

               Severus became aware of the several onlookers in the hallway. Passing Slytherins heading to their common room stopped in their tracks at the sight of an angry Harry Potter and their Head of House. Having had enough of the attention, Severus glared down at Harry, leaning down slightly so he was more eyelevel and softly said, “Cool it, Potter. Before I take points.”

               “Then just take your stupid clothes back!” Harry shouted, thrusting the package at Severus.

               “I said cool it.”

               “Take them!”

               Harry was not going to calm down anytime soon. And seeing this, Severus grabbed the boy by his upper arm and pulled him into his office, slamming the door behind them, leaving the Slytherins outside bewildered by the exchange.

               Inside the office, Severus pushed Harry down into the spare chair in front of his desk. He snatched the passage and tossed it on his desk. He remained standing at the side of Harry’s chair as he glared down at the boy.

               “You better start talking and explain that disgraceful behavior before I hand out a month’s worth of detentions.” Severus hissed between his teeth.

               “No!” Harry growled back, matching the man’s glare intensity. “You explain yours!”

               “What are you talking about?”

               “You know what. You give me clothes but then you . . . you were . . .” Harry’s eyes were welling with angry, frustrated tears. He looked away from the dark endless pits that were Severus’s eyes and glared at his shoes instead. “Just take your clothes back.”

               “They are not mine. They are yours.”

               “Technically, you bought them,” Harry contradicted, still glaring at his shoes, “that makes them yours.”

               Growing annoyed with the boy’s defiance, Severus hooked his foot around the leg of Harry’s chair and turned the boy, so they stared face to face. He pinned Harry with a fierce look.

               “I asked you to explain your behavior,” Severus reminded, his voice barely above a whisper. “If you don’t start talking, we’ll just see how much you say when your backside is sore.”

               Harry’s face flushed and the glare he had plastered on his face melted into an anxious one. That statement seemed to sober the boy right up. Good.

               “What do you want me to say?” Harry asked nervously.

               “It’s not what I want you to say. I want you to tell me what was running through your mind that made you think it was okay to come to my office, yell at me, and demand me to take back what I gave you.”

               “You were a bastard last night,” Harry said honestly but with no malice. It didn’t stop Severus from narrowing his eyes at the boy. “I don’t understand why you would be so nice and give me clothes and then . . . then do . . . do that.”

               Severus groaned as tears started falling out of Harry’s eyes and the boy hid behind his hands, trying to pull himself back together. One thing worse than an angry child was a crying child. Wonderful. Just what he felt like dealing with today. Severus guessed the boy had fair reasoning in his behavior. If he was being honest, he did react poorly last night to seeing the boy outside his door. But this wasn’t the first time he had been so harsh with the boy. Surely the kid didn’t take to heart everything he had said.

               “Enough with the tears,” Severus said in a softer tone.

               Harry seemed to struggle to stop the flow of salt water from his eyes. He remained behind his hands as he hiccoughed and sniffled.

               Honestly, Severus thought, were my actions really that upsetting?

               “Look, Potter,” Severus began, “the clothes are yours whether you want them or not. It isn’t “charity” as you so nicely put it. I’m giving them to you because they are a necessity. I’d do it for any other student if the situation called for it.”

               “I’m not upset about the clothes,” Harry mumbled, slowly lowering his hands to reveal his red eyes, though he stared at the floor.

               Severus sighed. He knew exactly what had the boy in tears. But he wasn’t about to apologize for last night. If that was what the boy wanted, he wasn’t going to hear it.

               “I know,” Severus said, moving around the desk and sitting in the chair behind it.

               Harry adjusted his chair and slowly looked up at Severus, but when the man calmly stared back, the boy sighed heavily and looked back down.

               “Please,” Harry whispered, “just take back the clothes.”

               “I will not. You will leave this office with that package. And if I have to spell it stuck to your hands, then I will.”

               “You can make me keep them, but you can’t make me wear them,” Harry gave the man a weak glare.

               Severus picked up his wand off the desk, touched the tip to the packaged, then flicked his wand in Harry’s direction. The boy’s school uniform instantly changed into one of the outfits Severus had bought – a simple blue sweater with jeans. Harry blinked down at himself. Severus smirked.

               “Watch me, Potter,” the man said.

               Harry just gave a defeated sigh, staring down at his shoes. He simply asked, “Where is my uniform?”

               “On your bed, hopefully about to be washed by the house elves.”

               “The what?”

               “Never mind,” Severus waved his hand dismissively, not really wanting to get into that conversation with the boy. Of course, Harry would have no idea what house elves were after being raised by muggles. He probably knew what servants were . . . well, perhaps not. Severus had to remind himself that the boy’s home life wasn’t exactly as he had thought.

               “But . . .” Harry frowned, “did you say . . . house elves? Are those like . . . I’ve heard of elves before, but I . . . are they . . .?”

               Rolling his eyes as he realized the boy wasn’t going to drop it, Severus called out, “Bakkey!”

               A loud pop sounded in the room and a house elf appeared, bowing respectfully. Severus noticed Harry jump at the noise and then stare at the creature as one would some caged zoo animal.

               “Yes, Master Snape?” Bakkey asked.

               “Bring myself and Potter some tea, would you?”

               “Of course, Master Snape.”

               Bakkey disappeared in another loud pop. Harry blinked before flashing Severus a confused look.

               “That is a house elf?”

               “He is, yes.”

               “Is he like . . . a slave?”

               “Hmm,” Severus hummed at Harry’s comparison. In some sense, it was an accurate description. But in another sense, it wasn’t always the case. As was the case at Hogwarts, where the elves chose to be around and work at the school. So, Severus decided on his answer. “No. He and the many others that work here choose to be here. And I can assure you, they are not to be ordered around by you or any other student.”

               “I wouldn’t do that, sir!”

               “Then I’m sure we won’t have a problem.”

               Then, a tray appeared with a teapot, cups, sugar cubes, and biscuits. Severus lifted the lid of the teapot to release some trapped steam, then poured tea in both cups, and said, “Help yourself.”

               Severus added a sugar cube to his tea, ignoring Harry’s suspicious look.

“Why are you giving me tea?” the boy asked.

“Well, for one, it’d be a waste not to use it all after Bakkey went through all the trouble. And two, tea is known for its calming effects, and I’m sure that is exactly what you need after your little tantrum.”

“I didn’t throw a tantrum!”

Severus gave the boy a pointed glare as he stirred his tea, effectively cooling Harry’s temper. But Harry still didn’t move for the tea.

               “Honestly, Potter,” Severus snapped. “I didn’t make the tea, so I can assure you, it’s not poisoned.”

               “I wasn’t . . . thinking that,” Harry said, his cheeks flaming red.

               Severus raised an eyebrow at the boy and watched as Harry picked up the other teacup and hesitantly added two sugar cubes and stirred. Severus noticed Harry eye the biscuits and shoved the plate towards the boy. Harry shyly took a biscuit and nibbled on it.

               “So . . .” Harry began, dipping his biscuit in the tea, “did . . . Bakkey? Did he make this?”

               “Yes,” Severus answered, absently stirring the tea he had yet to drink from.

               Harry ate the biscuit before asking, “So, house elves . . . they do all the chores?”

               “They do.”

               “So, is that how my bed is always made when I come back from classes.”

               “Perhaps. Though I’d suggest you should really make your own bed in the morning. It’s a good habit to have.”

               “There’s no point. I’m just going to mess it up again,” Harry muttered.

               Severus smirked at the comment.

               “Well, besides making your bed, they also clean the castle, make all the meals, and tend to the grounds, including the Quidditch Pitch.”

               “That’s a lot of work,” Harry frowned, not really liking that these creatures did so much. “Are they at least paid?”

               “Of course not.”

               “What do you mean, of course not?” Harry glared. “That’s not right!”

               “They are not paid, Potter, simply because they do not wish to be.”

               “Oh,” Harry frowned down at his tea this time, taking a quick sip. “It still doesn’t seem right.”

               “You feel strongly on the matter. Why?”

               “Well,” Harry’s frown deepened, “I guess maybe because I had to do all the chores and make all the meals at my relatives – no one else did anything! Well, Aunt Petunia sometimes cooked. But I had to take care of the garden too. And I was hardly given a meal for completing everything. I was given nothing!”

               Harry blinked, then looked up at Severus with burning cheeks.

               “Sorry,” the boy said, “I’m not . . . sure why . . .”

               “It’s alright,” Severus said, finally taking the spoon out of his tea and setting it aside. He rested his arms on the table. “You seem calmer and I’m sure after your little outburst earlier, you wanted to get that off your chest. But, while we’re all being honest, care to expand on what you meant by “hardly given a meal?””

               Harry sipped the tea as he eyed the plate of biscuits, trying to resist seeming rude and taking more. Severus’s eyes followed the boy’s gaze.

               “Feel free to take another biscuit, Potter. In fact, take them all. I certainly won’t eat them.”

               “Err, thanks, sir. I’m sure Ron will like that. But when I’m at my relatives, I have to cook all the meals, but I’m not allowed to eat at every single one. I’m lucky if my aunt and uncle let me have leftovers. When I was younger, I’d make the meals, and then they’d make me go back to my cupboard.”

               “Your cupboard?”

               “Yeah,” Harry’s eyes seemed a bit glazed as he absently dipped another biscuit into his tea. “My room.”

               “Your room was a cupboard?”

               “I know it sounds terrible, but it wasn’t that bad. I mean, I think I’ve outgrown it now. It was starting to get a bit cramped. But it’s okay, they moved me to Dudley’s second bedroom when I started getting my acceptance letters. I have an actual room now.”

               “I remember it took you a while to respond to your acceptance letter. Professor Dumbledore had to send Hagrid out for you. Was there a reason for that?”

               “Well, they wouldn’t let me open the letter for a long time. They just didn’t want me to go to some freak school.” Severus frowned at the boy’s choice of words, but allowed Harry to continue. “They tried everything to keep the letters from me and to keep me from going to that school. Hagrid really scared them though. He just blew up the door and gave Dudley a pigtail! I think some ears would have been nice too!”

               Harry smiled and then suddenly his eyes seemed to clear, and he frowned. He dropped the biscuit he was holding and stared down at the tea he had been drinking. He slowly looked over at Severus and noticed that the man never touched his tea. Severus smirked at how realization suddenly fell over Harry’s face. The boy wised up quickly.

               “What did you do?” the boy asked in a shuddered whisper, not hiding the fear in his voice.

               Severus allowed the small vial hidden in his robe to slip down into his hand. He twirled it in his fingers, allowing the boy to stare. There really was no point in lying to the boy.

               “Veritaserum,” Severus said casually. “Also called a truth serum. Although this one is a weakened version and seems to be losing its effect on you rather quickly.”

               Harry’s eyes widened. Severus was sure the boy was wondering when the man had even dosed the tea. Severus had done it when he had opened the lid of the pot to “release steam.”

               “You . . . drugged me?”

               “Hardly,” Severus smiled maliciously, “a drop never killed anyone.”

               Harry gulped. Severus rather enjoyed this. He could enjoy teasing the boy, torturing his mind just a little, and he still managed to get the answers he wanted. He watched as Harry shakily pushed the teacup aside. The boy’s eyes flashed at him angrily, though he still looked terrified.

               “I could tell on you for this!” Harry stated.

               “You could,” Severus agreed, “and I’ll explain what exactly our conversation consisted of.”

               Harry paled. “You wouldn’t. That stuff was personal. You had no right . . .”

               “You’re right. But no one stopped me.”

               Harry stood from his seat and backed away from the desk. Severus stood as well, picking up the package off his desk and holding it out to Harry.

               “Do not leave without this,” Severus demanded. “And if I don’t see you wearing these clothes, I will find hideous outfits to spell on you every day.”

               Harry paused, his eyes tearing once more, but he stepped forward and accepted the package.

               “You may go,” Severus dismissed him, casually sitting back down.

               Harry stared at Severus and the vial that now sat on the man’s desk for a moment before turning and running out of the office. Severus watched the boy leave, feeling no regret for what he had just done. He may have broken any trust the boy had in him, which surely wasn’t a lot, but he had what he needed now. Evidence. Straight from the boy’s mouth. And even though he said he wouldn’t get involved in the boy's life, that he would try to forget about this whole situation, he knew there was no way his mind would rest if he didn’t try something.

 


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