Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Chapter 17: Getting Ready for Christmas

So many things had happened to Harry in the past few months. He learned that he was a wizard. He got to go to this amazing school that looked like the castle popped out of one of his favorite storybooks he read when he snuck into the local library on those days he hid from Dudley and his friends. He would lose himself in the books. It was one of the few things that made living with his relatives bearable. He learned that he could fly on a broom. He wasn’t a freak in this school. He had friends. He had his owl, Hedwig. She was his first present. He would visit her as much as he could during the day. The weekends were the best times. Sometimes she would come into the dorm and stay on the headboard of his bed. But the best thing that happened to him was finding out he had a Godfather. He had a secure place where he knew nothing or no one could hurt him. 


It was getting close to Christmas break. The Great Hall had several trees decorated. There were four in the back of the hall. Each was decorated in the different House colors. After finishing his homework, Harry looked at the trees closely. 


When he was with his relatives, he couldn’t decorate the tree. He couldn’t even look at it. Well, he wasn’t supposed to, but he would sneak in at night, on the nights that he wasn’t locked in his cupboard, and just sit on the floor and look at the different lights as they flashed bright and then dimmed. 


The Gryffindor tree was decorated in Maroon and Gold ribbons. There were glowing baubles that changed in color. The ornaments were wood carvings of griffins and lions. There were shields that had the Gryffindor crest on them. 


The Ravenclaw tree was decorated in its house colors. There were animated ravens that soared their wings. The baubles were filled with snowcapped mountains with snow falling from the sky. A huge plaque with the house crest's carving sat on the top of the tree.


Harry walked over to the Hufflepuff’s tree. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw how it was decorated. The colors, of course, were its house colors, but the ribbons that draped over the tree limbs had badgers’ heads popping in and out of their setts. Each one donned a Christmas hat with a small bell at the tip. Harry could swear he could hear the bells jingle. Like Gryffindor’s tree, the baubles on the tree changed their color to match their House.


Harry walked over to the last tree on the wall's far side. It wasn’t set alone. Actually, each tree was evenly separated. Harry felt that this tree meant more to him even though he was a Gryffindor, and he loved their tree. He figured it was because it was his Godfather’s house. The green and silver sashes crisscrossed around the tree. There were translucent green and silver baubles that had snow-covered trees in them. Harry was mesmerized by it. He could see centaurs walking around the trees. There were wood carvings of the ‘S’ hanging from the limbs. Like Ravenclaw, there was a large wooden plaque with the House crest on it. 


“Enjoying yourself?”


Harry jumped at the voice. He quickly turned around and saw the Headmaster standing at the Great Hall’s entrance.


“Hi, Headmaster,” Harry murmured. His voice was low and timid. It was weird that the Headmaster would be here. Harry figured he could go wherever he wanted since he was the Headmaster.


“Come, young one,” Albus said, holding out his hand. 


Harry walked over to the Headmaster. 


“The trees are really pretty,” Harry said when he got to Albus’ side. 


“They are,” Albus agreed. “I, too, would sometimes stand in front of them and just admire them. But, I wouldn’t think you would want to spend the last few days cooped up inside when you could be out with your friends.”


“Yes, sir,” Harry said and ran off towards the stairs.


___000___000___000

Harry sat on his bed as he watched his dormmates pack their things. He wasn’t jealous that they were leaving. He was sad that he would be in the room alone. The boy had got accustomed to being in the room with someone. 


“Harry,” Ron called as he walked over to the side of his friend’s bed. “Are you sure you’ll be alright here? I could ask my mom if you could come too. Plus, my brother, Charlie, also wrote to me the other day that he’s going to try and come home. He works on a Dragon Preserve. He always has the best stories.”


“That’s okay, Ron,” Harry said. “I’ll be fine. You can tell me the stories when you come back.”


Harry appreciated the thought. And it was tempting to take Ron up on his offer, but he didn’t want to be a bother. He didn’t want to ruin their Christmas. 


“I don’t want you to be alone on Christmas,” Ron sighed. 


“Won’t be the first time,” Harry assured his friend. “I’ll probably go to Hagrid’s. Play around with Fang.”


Ron nodded but didn’t seem convinced. 


___000___000___000

The next day, everyone that was leaving for the Christmas holidays got into the horseless carriages. Very few children were staying at the castle. Harry and twelve other children were staying at Hogwarts for the holiday break. 


Harry stood at the door and saw his friends ride off. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. Not that he was happy to be alone, but their excitement brought on his. Before the twins climbed into one of the carriages, they promised to send Harry some things during the holiday that would keep him occupied. Harry loved the twins. They always made him smile. They treated him like a brother. More so after the bludger accident. Harry hated that they felt bad. It was an accident. He knew the twins would never purposely hurt him.


“What are you standing out here for, Potter?” Draco sneered, walking up to him. His entourage was behind him. All of them had their trunks. 


Harry didn’t want to deal with them. He was feeling happy about his friends leaving. The last person he wanted to see was Malfoy. Harry hated bullies. He had enough of that while he was home. He lived with the two biggest bullies. 


“And where are your things?” Draco continued. “Not welcome back home. Your family doesn’t treat the Great Harry Potter like a prince?”


A few of the other Slytherin began to laugh.


Harry didn’t care about going home. He loved that he could be here and see how Christmas would be. He didn’t have to worry about being left out. 


Harry didn’t respond to any of Draco’s questions. Not that the blond-headed boy was looking for one. Harry watched as he saw them load up into the last carriage. Just watching them climb inside gave Harry a calm feeling. He didn’t have to worry about Malfoy for the next three weeks.  


When the last sight of the carriages was gone, Harry turned back to go into the castle. It didn’t seem so bad when he first told Ron that he would be fine after they left. Now that it had happened, Harry truly felt alone. A chill went up his spine as he walked through the front doors. He felt so tiny in the huge castle. He wanted his safety. He hadn’t seen his professor since finding out that he was his Godfather. 


It wasn’t that he felt he was being rejected; he just figured Professor Snape would be busy with work. But now that everybody was gone, it was a great time to go to his safety. 


As he walked down the corridors that led to the Potions classroom, Harry felt like someone was following him. The further he walked, the more intense the feeling became, and knew that someone was after him. 


The feeling of being followed intensified again when he heard footsteps behind him. He didn’t want to look. Harry’s heart felt like it was going to punch through his chest. He could see his refuge at the end of the corridor. But it seemed that the faster he walked, the further the door got. 


Harry took off in a full run. He was scared to look behind him. He didn’t want to know who was after him. He just wanted to get to his safety. He wanted to scream out, but it seemed that his voice wouldn’t work. 


Harry finally was getting closer to the door. He could see his destination so close. 


___000___000___000

Severus didn’t want to admit to himself that he was missing his spider monkey. It had been a week since he had personal time with the child. Yes, he saw the boy during meal time and in class, but he didn’t seek the child out, nor did the child seek him out. 


In the beginning, he felt smothered. He didn’t have his peace. But now that he had his peace, he was feeling lonely. He could just send for the child. It wasn’t like the boy would say no. Actually, his spider monkey would attach himself to his person and refuse to let go. 


It was shocking to learn that Lily had named him Harry’s Godfather. He always thought that what he did was so unforgivable. He remembered all those many nights of pleading at the Gryffindor’s portrait, asking to speak with her. He groveled. She would not speak to him. Yes, before she died, he got a message from her saying she wanted to meet. That there was something important, she wanted to tell him. And that in no uncertain terms that she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She wanted things to be different. He didn’t know what she meant. He had hoped that she was willing to allow their friendship to continue. After reading the Will, Severus could summarize why she wanted to see him. 


Two nights after learning about his new relationship with Harry, Severus sat in his chair with a tumbler filled with his favorite drink, reminiscing on his best friend. All the different times they sat and talked. He thought about the nights he stayed with her and her parents when Tobias had too much to drink. How they snuck to the Astronomy Tower to do homework so they wouldn’t be bothered or bullied because they were from two rival Houses.  


When he saw the fire turned green, “Go away,” Severus growled. 


“Now, now, Severus,” Albus said, stepping out of the fireplace. The fire turned back to his orange-red hue.


“I don’t feel like talking.”


“Forgive me, my boy,” Albus said, sitting across from his adopted son. “There is plenty to talk about. The holidays are upon us.”


“They usually descend upon us this time of year,” Severus quipped. 


Albus nodded. “True. True. So, what are you planning on doing?”


Severus looked at the old man sitting across from him. That was a loaded question if Severus ever heard one. The old coot was up to something.


“What do you want, old man?”


“Well, now knowing that you have a godson,” Albus said. His eyes twinkled. It was like two crystal jewels looking at his adopted son. “Do you have plans for young Harry? I know for a fact that the child will be alone in his dorm. It seems like a lonely time for a child who probably never had a normal Christmas.”


“Have you ever known me to care about the holidays?” Severus asked. 


“Hence the reason I’m here,” Albus replied. “You will give Harry a proper Christmas experience.”


Severus said nothing. He just took a sip from his glass. 


“You remember how much fun you had when we celebrated the holidays,” Albus reminisced. 


“I only did that to appease you,” Severus snarled. 


“Sure,” Albus said, not believing his son’s words. “And I supposed if I walked into your room, would I find the first present I gave you?”


“That’s beside the point,” Severus said quickly.


“No, it is the point,” Albus contradicted. “I thought you would like to know that Harry was up in the Great Hall admiring the decorated trees. Maybe you should decorate around here. Make it more cheerful for Harry.”


“What makes you believe that child is going to be here?”


“Stop being contrary,” Albus softly admonished. 


Severus huffed at the admonishment. Albus always had ways of making Severus feel like a small child.


Albus smiled as his eyes continued to twinkle. He got up without another word to his son. He walked out of Severus’ quarters.


Severus sighed. Who was he kidding? Of course, Potter would be down here. Severus set his glass on the small table at his elbow and laid his head back on the chair. For the first time, Severus had to think about what he could get to brighten up his chambers so Harry would have a wonderful Christmas. 


~~~~

It was the day all those miscreants were leaving. The week seemed to drag on the closer to the beginning of the holidays. Severus sat behind his desk. He was supposed to be grading the last of the homework assignments, but he was making a list. 


He wanted to be embarrassed about the items, but the feeling never came as much as he thought. He hated to admit that he was getting excited. The thought of surprising his spider monkey almost brought a smile to his face. He smiled in the safety of his office so he didn’t have to worry about being teased by the two old geezers that were determined to make fun of him.


Severus finished his list, placing it in the inside pocket of his frock coat. He figured there was no time to get his errands done like the present. When he opened the door, he didn’t expect to have a small body crash into him. 


Harry must have been running towards Severus’ door at a full speed. The professor had to take a few steps back to avoid falling from the force of impact. He could feel the child shaking against him. Severus instantly went to alert mode. He flicked his wrist, causing his wand to fall into his hand. His other arm was wrapped around Harry’s shoulders, ready to move the child out of the way of any danger. Looking around, the Potions Master didn’t see any threat. 


Severus replaced his wand in order to concentrate on his spider monkey. “Harry, Harry,” Severus soothed, rubbing the child’s back. He pulled the child’s glasses off as the wired rims were trying to embed themselves into his stomach.


“Can you tell me what has you so scared?” Severus rubbed the child’s back in soothing circles. 


Harry mumbled something. But he refused to be separated. 


Severus learned fast that trying to detach the child from his person would not work, so he lifted the child to his chest by putting his hands under Harry’s arms. And his spider monkey instantly wrapped his limbs around Severus. Shaking his head and closing the door with his foot, Severus walked back to his desk and waited for Harry to calm down. 


___000___000___000

“You fool!” the wheezing voice rasped. 


“Forgive me, my lord,” Quirrell whimpered. “I am trying.”


“How hard is it to get one boy? I would have caught him the first time if I had full control of this insignificant body. You are becoming more problems than you’re worth.”


Quirrell quietly walked out of the storage cupboard he was hiding in. When he saw Severus open his office door, the last thing he needed was for that suspicious Potions Master to see him. He’d been keeping away from the man. He didn’t need him to find anything on him. 


___000___000___000

It didn’t take long for Harry to calm down. The child wasn’t crying, which Severus was thankful for. He rubbed soothing circles on the child’s back, waiting for him to calm down enough to talk.


“Mr. Potter.”


“Yes, sir,” Harry mumbled. 


Slightly shaking his head, “Can you stand on your own and tell me why you crashed into me?”


Sighing, Harry sat back so that he could look at the blurry figure that was his Godfather. He nodded, and with Severus’ help, Harry got off his lap.


“Sorry, sir,” Harry said, lowering his head. He felt a finger hook under his chin, so he looked at his safety.


“No apology needed,” Severus said, placing Harry’s glasses back on his nose. “But something happened. What was it?”


Harry grabbed his robes and was about to wrap them in his fingers but was stopped by Severus pulling the cloth away. Harry looked back at his Professor and was about to suck his bottom lip between his teeth, but thought differently when he saw the look on the man’s face. 


The boy knew that gripping his robes and biting his lip was a bad habit. He wished he could stop, but he couldn’t.


“Potter.”


“I wanted to come visit you since we hadn’t seen each other,” Harry said.


“I do believe we have,” Severus said, sitting back in his chair.


“Well, yeah,” Harry whined. “But it’s not the same. And everybody’s gone. I don’t want to feel alone.”


Severus didn’t say anything. He just nodded. 


“But it felt like someone was following me,” Harry finished. 


“Did you see anyone?” the man asked. Severus didn’t like the idea of someone following the boy. The idea that someone was out for Harry didn’t sit right with Severus. 


Shaking his head, Harry replied, “No. But it was like it took forever to get here. I just wanted to reach the door.”


“Well,” Severus said, holding his worry inside. “There was no one in the corridor when I opened the door. You are safe.”


Harry stood in silence again. He wanted to spend the day with his Godfather, but now he wasn’t so sure if he could. He wanted to ask but didn’t want to know the answer if it was a no. 


Severus could see that Harry wanted to ask him something. The poor child projected his feelings loud and clear. He guessed he could put the poor child out of his misery. The errands he needed to do weren’t something that he had to do alone. And he did want to spend some time with his spider monkey. 


“Potter, I have a few things that I need to do outside the castle. A few shops to go to.”


Oh, Harry thought. Well, he was happy he didn’t ask. He stepped back and was about to leave when he felt a hand on his wrist.


“Would you like to accompany me?” Severus asked. 


One would think that someone just told the boy he won the muggle lottery. The child’s face lit up with joy. He had the biggest smile on his face. He was nodding so hard his hair was going in all directions. 


Severus felt his heart warm, looking at his godson. He couldn’t hide the smirk. Just knowing that he made the child happy elated Severus. Something he hadn’t felt in a very long time. 


“Well,” Severus stood up, “let’s go get your winter robes, then we can leave.” He sent a Patronus to Albus, letting him know what he was doing.


Severus was about to send the boy on his own to the tower but didn’t want to take a chance if there was someone following the child. Keeping Harry safe was something he promised and did not take lightly. Even before he learned that the child was his godson.


___000___000___000

Severus was trying to calm his temper as the two of them walked out of the castle. Just looking at the child broke his heart at what he went through with his relatives. What he had for his winter robes should be burned. There was no way those clothes would protect the small child from the freezing elements. Buying Harry more clothes was just another thing to add to the list of things that needed to be done today. 


Severus didn’t want to embarrass the child when he came out of the portrait. He cast a strong, warming spell over the boy’s clothes. As they walked to the apparition point, well, Severus walked. Harry was skipping. Actually skipping. His arms were swinging back and forth. He looked like he hadn’t a worry in the world. Now that Harry was his responsibility, Severus was going to do his best to ensure it continued that way. Harry’s been through enough.


When the two of them reached the front gate, Severus decided it was time to reign the child in. He watched as the child played with the snow, but there were several places that they needed to go to, so they had to leave.


“Mr. Potter,” Severus called out. Harry looked over at his Professor and ran over towards him. The child’s cheeks were pink from exertion and the cold. “Are you cold?” Severus was worried that the warming charm he placed on the child was not enough.


“It’s okay,” Harry huffed, trying to catch his breath. “I’m not that cold. I’m used to it.” Harry shrugged. 


Severus didn’t like that. 


“Come here.”


Harry stood in front of his godfather. Severus took his hands. Even though Harry had a warming charm over him, Severus could still feel the child’s hands were freezing. It wasn’t a wonder since the gloves were threadbare if that. Not abiding by the thought of the child’s fingers falling off because of frostbite, Severus took off his gloves.


“What are you doing?” Harry asked with concern.


“What does it look like?” Severus asked, reaching out for Harry’s wrist.


“No.” Harry tried to take a step back. “Your hands will get cold. I’m fine. I’m used to it.”


“Mr. Potter,” Severus’ voice was calm, but it didn’t reveal how he was feeling. “You are not going to be out in this snow with ill-equipped clothing. These are to hold you until I can purchase you a proper winter wardrobe.”


“No, that’s okay,” Harry replied. “You don’t have to. That’s too much money.”


Harry wanted to take his Godfather’s gloves off. He felt bad that his hands were warm, and now his Professor’s hands weren’t. But there was something special about having the gloves on. It made Harry feel special. Someone actually took something off of themselves and gave it to the Freak.


Harry had seen other parents do that with their children. There was a time when Aunt Petunia wrapped her coat over Dudley’s head when it started raining. Harry had to stand in the rain and get soaked. He wasn’t allowed to even be near his cousin or his covering.


“I guess it is a good thing I am not asking you,” Severus said. “We will stop at Madam Malkin’s while we are out.”


“But, sir-”


“Potter, the only thing I want to hear is: thank you.”


Harry lowered his head, trying to hide his smile. “Thank you,” he mumbled. He wished he could bottle up this feeling. The elation of knowing that someone wanted to buy him something. And was determined to do it. 


Severus lifted the boy in his arms. “We will have to apparate,” Severus said. “It will be a little jarring, so I want you to hold on. You might feel like you are being pulled from me, but it’s only a feeling. I will not let you go. Understand?”


Harry didn’t know how to take that. He didn’t want to do something that would pull him away. So, he gripped Severus’ robes as tight as possible with the oversized gloves and wrapped his legs around him. 


“3..2..1,” Severus counted down. 


The pulling. 


The squeezing. 


The spinning.


When it felt too much for Harry, it stopped. 


“Are you okay, Harry?”


Harry didn’t want to answer verbally with the queasiness in his stomach, so he just shook his head.


“It will pass,” Severus said, rubbing the child’s back. 


___000___000___000

Bill was finishing up on his last bit of work. He was glad that the day finally ended. He was taking a week off. After the debacle in regards to Harry Potter and his parents’ will, Bill wanted to spend the holidays with his family. 


It was going to be a surprise since he hadn’t spoken to his parents since he went over for dinner. He enjoyed his time with his parents. He didn’t realize how much he missed his family until he had dinner with them and then saw his brothers at Hogwarts.


Bill packed up the last of his notes when an elf popped into his office. Bill closed his eyes and sighed before acknowledging the elf. 


“Master Bill,” the elf squeaked. “You’re needed with Griphook.”


The elf disappeared before Bill could give a reply. 


“So much for leaving on time,” Bill sighed as he got up and headed to Griphooks’ office.  


Not even giving the courtesy of knocking, Bill walked in. He was still upset at what he had discovered. He hadn’t heard if Professors Dumbledore and Snape made good on their threat to let the press know about the mix-up with the Potters’ will.


“Griphook,” Bill said. 


Bill was a little surprised at Griphook’s appearance. Usually, the Goblin would work non-stop, going through rolls of parchment while barking orders to several elves. Now, the Goblin was sitting behind a clear-top desk. No parchment. No scrolls. Not even quills or ink.


Griphook looked up at the oldest Weasley. “Another scroll has come to my attention.”


Bill lowered his head and shook it. This was not good.


Griphook pulled out a scroll from his desk. “This was an addendum to the will. It was to have been read after the will.”


“Do you want me to authenticate it?” Bill asked, reaching out for the scroll.


“No,” Griphook shook his head. “I want you to give this to Professor Dumbledore. It’s addressed to him.”


“You know you can just owl it to him,” Bill said. He usually wasn’t snippy with the Goblins, but after the debacle that he uncovered, the last thing he was feeling was respect for the Goblins. “I am not your messenger. I’m a curse breaker.”


Griphook didn’t reply.


“Wait a minute,” Bill said after a moment. His brow furrowing, “you don’t want to owl this scroll,” pointing at the rolled parchment, “to him. It would give outside proof that Gringotts messed up. That this place isn’t as perfect as you Goblins claim.”


Again, Griphook didn’t reply. 


Bill snatched the scroll out of Griphook’s bony hand. “I’ll take it. But I hope either Dumbledore or Snape comes after you. Better yet, Harry, since the directly affects him.”


This time Griphook couldn’t give Bill a reply as the Weasley walked out of the Goblin’s office and out of the bank.


___000___000___000

Severus walked out of the magical side alley that led to the Leaky Cauldron. Giving Harry a little more time to get over his first apparition, he held the boy while he used his wand to open the brick wall. 


Harry heard the tapping and raised his head just in time to see the bricks move to grant access to Diagon Alley. The place was still magical to him. He remembered coming with Hagrid. There were so many people walking around. 


Now, there weren’t that many witches and wizards walking around. But the buildings and side-posts had Christmas decorations on them. Harry gripped Severus’ robes with one hand and turned his body to get a better look at everything. 


“Would you like to walk, Potter?” Severus inquired softly.


Harry nodded, not saying a word, still in awe at what he saw. Severus lowered the child, putting his hand on Harry’s shoulder; they began their shopping trip.


“Professor?”


“Yes, Harry.”


“What do you have to get?” Harry asked, looking up at Severus.


“Well, first, we are going to Madam Malkin’s to get you some winter robes.”


Harry wanted to say something to that, but when he looked up at his Godfather, the look on the man’s face let Harry know it would be best just to get the new items. 


Moments later, Severus walked out of the shop, putting his gloves back on his hands. Harry bounced after him. The boy couldn’t stop smiling. His head was warm. His hands. Even his feet. Never had he ever felt this warm. The wind was blowing, and it didn’t breeze through the fabric of his coat like his old one. 


“Now-,” 


Severus started when a small body, once again, collided with him. He could hear his spider monkey mumbling against him. This time Severus understood what the boy said.


“You are welcome, Harry,” Severus said, trying to keep the smile off his face. “Now, if you’re done, we have a lot of things to get.”


Harry stepped back. “Where do we need to go?”


The two of them started walking down the alley.


“Well,” Severus said. “There are a few ingredients I must stop by J. Pippin’s Potions and Mr. Mulpepper’s Apothecary.” 


“Oh, okay,” Harry said as he followed Severus. He kept stopping to see items that were displayed in the windows.


“Stay close, Potter,” Severus said when he looked back and saw that Harry wasn’t by him.


“Coming,” Harry said absentmindedly and then rushed over to Severus’ side. 


Harry once again stopped at another window display. He was in front of the Quidditch shop. They had the newest broom on the market on display.


Harry didn’t realize that he had gotten separated until he didn’t hear his Godfather’s voice. Harry started worrying. He was alone. Where was his Godfather? What if he left? Why would he stay? Harry was just a Freak, a burden. His heart was pounding in his chest. A lump grew in his throat, making it hard to swallow. He could feel tears prickling behind his eyes.


“Potter!”


Harry turned his head towards the sound of the voice. He would know his safety’s voice anywhere. He was still there. Harry was about to reply but didn’t when he saw his professor's anger.


“Did I not tell you to keep up?” Severus growled softly when he got in front of Harry. Severus gripped Harry’s arm, turning him to the side, and landing three sharp smacks on the child’s bottom. 


Tears instantly spilled from the child’s eyes. 


“I have a right mind to take you back to the castle if you can’t follow a few simple rules while we are on our outing. But because a lot has to be done, I do not have the time,” Severus groused as he gripped Harry’s arm, and they started walking again down the alley.


“I-I’m s-sorry,” Harry stuttered. He used his free glove-covered hand to wipe at the tears.


They made it to Mr. Mulpepper’s Apothecary. Severus gripped Harry’s shoulders and turned him, so they were facing each other. 


“Now, you are to stay close to me,” Severus ordered. “If I have to tell you again, we will head back to the castle and give you the proper spanking you deserve. Am I understood?”


Harry’s throat was too clogged with tears, and he was afraid he would make an unwanted noise if he opened his mouth. He nodded. 


Satisfied, Severus turned and walked into the Apothecary. Harry closed on his heels. The Potions Master took a second as he walked down one of the isles to calm himself down. 


Never had he been so scared. When he turned around and didn’t see Harry behind him, the first thing that popped into his head was that someone had kidnapped him. He cursed himself for not masking his identity before they left Hogwarts. 


His relief was palpable when he retraced his steps and saw the little miscreant standing by the Quidditch shop. His knees weakened a little. His only thought was getting to the child and swatting his bottom. 


He speculated earlier in the school year that Harry was going to give him grey hairs. Right now, it is looking more to that effect. 


As the Potions Master perused the isles, he felt a slight tug on his robes. He looked over and saw that Harry had a tight grip on them. With the child having gloves on, Severus speculated that he couldn’t wrap his fingers in the fabric. 


After getting his purchases, Severus walked out of the apothecary with his godson behind him. Severus didn’t have any problems with Harry. Actually, Harry hadn’t said a word. Severus knew this needed to be aired out. This wasn’t supposed to be a sad outing. And he didn’t want Harry moping the entire time. The duo walked over to Rosa Lee Teabag. 


Severus took a table at the far corner of the tea shop. Harry was about to sit in the chair across from Severus when Severus took hold of Harry’s arm and brought the child to stand in front of him.


More tears began to pool in the child’s eyes.


“I’m s-sorry, P-professor,” Harry hiccuped. “I d-didn’t mean to r-ruin today. I try not to be a fr-freak. I hadn’t seen the broom, and it was nice. I was s-so excited when y-you said I-I could come, but I r-ruined-”


“Harry, Harry,” Severus said a little louder than the child’s cries. “Nothing is ruined, child,” Severus soothed. “You made a mistake. You were corrected,” he pulled out his handkerchief and wiped Harry’s tears, “and now it’s done. All’s forgiven. I just want you to realize that you need to stay next to me for your safety and my peace of mind. You really scared me. I thought I had lost you.”


“You were?” Harry sniffled, using his gloved hand to wipe the last remnants of wetness off of his face. 


The concept that someone would worry about his safety was still new to him. He knew that his Professor would keep him safe, but the idea that he was scared when he didn’t see him never occurred to Harry. No one was ever scared for him. 


Severus nodded. He opened his arms, “Come here, spider monkey.”


Harry all but collapsed in his Godfather’s arms. They hugged each other tightly.


“Another thing,” Severus whispered in Harry’s ear. “You are not a Freak. You are not a burden. This is the last time I want to hear you refer to yourself like that. You are my godson. Understand?”


Harry nodded.


“No,” Severus admonished lightly. “I want to hear you say it. I want to know you understand.”


Harry pushed back away from his Godfather, looked at him, and said, “I won’t say I’m a freak. I’m your godson.” 


“Very good,” Severus praised. “Now, how about we have some tea and then go and finish our shopping trip.”  


With a huge smile on his face, Harry nodded.


___000___000___000

Albus was sitting behind his desk finishing up some paperwork when the floo in the fireplace became active. 


“Professor Dumbledore.” A voice came through the flames. “It’s Bill Weasley. May I come through?”


Albus stood and walked over to the fireplace. “Mr. Weasley, you never have to ask permission to come through. Welcome.”


Bill walked through the flame and greeted the Headmaster.


“I’m seeing you more now than I had when you were a student here,” Albus quipped. 


Bill smirked at the statement but didn’t reply. 


“So,” Albus sat down behind his desk. He held out his hand, offering Bill one of his overly plush chairs to sit on. “What can I do for you, young Weasley?”


Bill did not want to waste time with small talk. His anger with the Goblins was still fresh. Bill pulled out the scroll, handing it to the Headmaster. 


“What is this?” Albus asked as he received the parchment.


Sitting back in the chair, Bill replied, “This was to have been read after the Potter’s Will was read. It was an addendum that was to be given to you.”


“Where-”


“Once again, the Goblins' protocol wasn’t what they always claimed,” Bill sneered. “I received this just now. Griphook wanted me to give this to you personally.”


“Why?” Albus asked, studying the scroll that now lay on his desk.


“They didn’t want to send a Gringotts owl. It would have been proof that they are as infallible as they claim. They’re actually scared of you or Professor Snape going public about this. I told Griphook that if anyone went public, it would be Harry. This affected the boy.”


“Thank you, Mr. Weasley,” Albus said. “I won’t hold you any longer.”


“Of course, Professor,” Bill said, standing up. “If there is anything I can do, I’ll be at my parents’. I want to spend my holidays at home.”


“That sounds wonderful,” Albus said, smiling. “Merry Christmas.”


“You too, Professor.”


Bill disappeared through the green flames. Albus was once again alone in his chambers.


Albus looked at the uncurled scroll for a moment longer before opening it and reading the contents. 


___000___000___000

Severus walked into his chambers with his companion slumped against his chest. The poor child was tuckered out. Not counting the small issue of Harry not staying by his side, the two of them had an agreeable time together. Harry was fighting sleep during the walk from the castle’s front gate. The child had lost his battle by the time Severus walked into his chambers. 


After they had their tea and Severus acquired the ingredients he needed, their shopping began. There were a few places that sold decorations that Severus would approve to be in his chambers. Merlin help him if he was going to get some of those garish eyesores that were hanging all over the school. This was for Harry’s benefit, not his own. 


Severus wasn’t a total troll. He knew Harry was interested in going to those shops. It wasn’t that Severus was opposed; he just wanted to get what he needed first. 


They perused the different shops. Seeing the wonder in Harry’s eyes made Severus’ heart melt. Part of him didn’t like how emotional he was becoming since learning he was a Godfather, but the other he was enjoying seeing the look of wonder and happiness on Harry’s face. Severus watched as Harry looked at specific items. He would reach out for them but not get close enough to touch them. Severus was waiting for Harry to ask for the items, but it broke the Potion Master’s heart that Harry would not say anything. So, Severus wandlessly sent those particular items to the store's front counter. If he were going to give his godson a wonderful Christmas, at least there would be items the child wished for. He didn’t get everything the child stared over. But Severus was confident that Harry would appreciate whatever he received. 


Harry mentioned a few things he thought his friends would like. That had been a different issue. After going back and forth about paying for the items, Severus, not wanting to cause a scene, agreed that Harry would return the money he spent. (Not that it was going to happen.) Severus was his Godfather. Why wouldn’t he pay for what the child wanted or needed? When Harry started slowing down, Severus knew it was time to return to the castle.


When Severus laid the child on his sofa, Harry was asleep. He maneuvered the boy so he could remove the winter robes, hat, and gloves. He accio’ed a pillow and blanket to cover the child. There was a fire going, but he felt it wasn’t enough to keep the child warm. It still bothered him about the state of Harry’s outerwear. 


Severus had the stores ship his purchases straight to the castle. The castle’s elves would bring them to Severus’ chambers. Many items were strewn across the floor. The items that were to decorate the rooms stayed, but the others were sent to his private office. 


Severus cast a Muffliato over the sleeping child on the sofa. He had been out of the castle for several hours, and he knew that he was going to be bombarded by two old geezers in about 5..4..3..2-


The flames turned green; also, there was a knock on the door. Severus shook his head. He waved his hand towards the door to let Minerva come in. While Albus stepped out of the hearth before the fire returned to its normal color.


“You couldn’t give me a few minutes of peace,” Severus groused. 


“Now, now,” Minerva said, walking towards the sofa. “I wanted to -”


She stopped talking when she saw her little Gryffindor asleep, snuggled under a thick blanket.


“-you must’ve had a wonderful time,” Minerva whispered. 


“You can speak plainly,” Severus said, transfiguring another high-back winged chair so they wouldn’t sit on the sofa, not disturbing Harry while he slept. “I cast a Muffliato over the child.”


“It’s not even five o’clock,” Minerva admonished lightly. “If you let the child continue to sleep, he won’t sleep tonight.”


“You act as if I’ve never dealt with eleven-year-olds.”


“Now, now,” Albus calmly said. “Enough of that. I want to know about Harry’s outing.”


“You make it seem like he was my purpose for leaving the castle,” Severus argued.


“You can try and fool me if you want,” Albus said, smiling. “I know you could have gotten those ingredients by owl. You had fun with the boy.”


“Well, if you must know,” Severus sighed, sitting on his chair. “We did have fun. I did get him new winter robes. What he had was not fit for anybody. Threadbear at best. But his eyes lit up when he looked at anything. As if everything was new.” 


Severus stopped talking. He’d come to the realization that everything was new for Harry. The way he was treated by his so-called relatives left plenty to be desired. He looked over at the small child now curled up on his sofa, sleeping peacefully. A warm feeling flowed through Severus as he realized that he was the one to give Harry his first experience at shopping.


Severus was brought out of his internal thoughts by someone clearing their throat. Closing his eyes, Severus didn’t want to see the “I told you so” look on Minerva’s and Albus’ faces. He knew they would not let him live this down. 


“Get out,” Severus growled softly.


“There is no need to be embarrassed, my boy,” Albus soothed. 


Severus could hear the laughter in the man’s voice. “Get out.”


“You love the boy,” Minerva said, trying not to laugh. “It’s understandable. He’s a very lovable child.”


“Get out!”


Albus stood up and said, “Very well, Severus, will leave you alone with your godson.” 


Albus extended his arm in a manner to help Minerva out of her chair. 


“Good night, Severus,” Minerva called out as she walked out of the door.


Severus sneered.


Albus walked over to Severus and put his hand on his shoulder. Severus was about to say something, but Albus spoke first.


“All kidding aside,” Albus said softly. “I’m very proud of you, son.”


Severus looked up at his adoptive dad.


It broke Albus’ heart that Severus would still be surprised when he received his due praise. Albus always tried to show how proud he was of Severus’ accomplishments. He stood behind everything his boy had been through. And would continue to. Especially when the contents of the Will addendum come out.

  

Albus was exceptional at hiding his true feelings about something when it was warranted. Now would be that time. When it came to his adopted son, and now by extension to young Harry, Albus was very protective when it came to them.


Albus read the scroll that Bill Weasley left for him. And though he started to ball rolling to correct things, he didn’t want to bring down the atmosphere that was in these chambers. Even though he and Minerva were teasing Severus, he was content. It had been a long time since his son felt that way. And he wanted this day to end on a positive note. 


Albus wouldn’t hide what he’d learned or what he was doing. Both Harry and Severus would learn about the scroll. But that would be an issue for tomorrow. 

TBC


You must login (register) to review.
[Report This]


Disclaimer Charm: Harry Potter and all related works including movie stills belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, Warner Bros, and Bloomsbury. Used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended. No money is being made off of this site. All fanfiction and fanart are the property of the individual writers and artists represented on this site and do not represent the views and opinions of the Webmistress.

Powered by eFiction 3.5