Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Take Me Home

Harry slowly calmed down after nearly twenty minutes of throwing a fit on the floor. He took several deep breaths as he looked around. The house was very quiet now that he wasn’t screaming. He turned his head to the left, spotting Severus sitting on the couch watching him. Harry rubbed his eyes as he stared back. If he had done something like that in front of Aunt Petunia, he would have long ago been locked in his cupboard. All this man was doing was staring at him.

               “Are you quite done?” Severus asked, raising a brow at him.

               Harry shook his head.

               “No?” Severus stood up and walked over to Harry. “And what exactly do you hope to accomplish?”

               “I want to go home,” Harry said sadly. “I don’t want to stay here forever.”

               “You have nowhere else to go,” Severus countered. “Your relatives are in jail now—they can’t take care of you.”

               “Take em out,” Harry argued.

               Severus sighed, then kneeled next to Harry.

               “Harry,” Severus said, waiting for the child’s attention. “You had rules at your relatives, right?”

               Harry nodded.

               “And if you didn’t follow those rules, you were—I’m assuming—punished, correct?”

               Harry nodded again.

               “Well, Britain has rules, too, and in order to live here, you have to follow those rules, or you’ll be punished, even if you’re an adult. Your relatives broke many rules, so they have to spend some time in jail, just as you might have to spend time in time out.”

               “You mean my cupboard?” Harry asked.

               “Hmm,” Severus said, standing back up. “If that was your time out, then yes.”

               “I don’t want them in jail.”

               “I know, but I don’t make the laws. We all have to follow them and when we don’t, we get in trouble for it.”

               “They didn’t do anything, though. They’re good, normal people.”

               Severus frowned at Harry’s phrasing.

               “Normal,” Severus repeated.

               “Yeah, they don’t make freaky things happen.”

               “You mean like this?” Severus waved his hand over Harry and the child slowly began floating up. Harry gasped, startled, but he was lowered back down to the floor gently. Harry smiled up at Severus as he sat up.

               “Yeah, like that!”

               “That is called magic,” Severus said. “And it’s far from freaky. It’s normal for wizards and witches. Some muggles simply do not understand it.”

               “What are muggles?”

               “People without magic.”

               “Like me?”

               “No.” Severus shook his head, summoning a picture from his study. He held it out for Harry, who accepted it and stared at the picture. It was of his parents again: Lily and James touching their wands together, and then a silvery stag and doe pranced out of their wands, spun around in the air and landed in front of the couple, touching noses. The picture repeated the scene again and again. Harry awed at it.

               “Your parents had magic,” Severus said. “As do you.”

               Harry’s head snapped up. “Really?”

               “Really. It’s not freaky. It can be exceptionally beautiful, actually.”

               Harry stared at the picture, touching it gently. “Can I keep it?”

               “You may have that one,” Severus said. “Why don’t you go put it up in your room?’

               “I want to take it home with me,” Harry said.

               Severus bit his tongue in frustration. He had thought he had been doing well with their conversation. Harry was quite stubborn—he wondered whose genes that boy got that from. Severus had been hoping to work on decorating Harry’s walls and reorganizing the bedroom in a more kid friendly manner, but at this rate, he may end up doing that tomorrow. He still had to make lunch for the kids as well.

               “This is your home, now, Harry,” Severus said. “I suggest you start accepting that.”

               The reaction was immediate. Harry’s face morphed into a pout and he threw himself back down and kicked his feet.

               “I want to go home!” Harry cried.

               Severus sighed and walked away from Harry this time. The truth would settle in soon enough for Harry and then he would adjust to a normal life as a kid and not a house elf to an awful family. Severus decided to check with Iris on what she might like for lunch. He headed upstairs and knocked on Iris’s bedroom door.

               “Iris?” Severus said, opening the door and peeking inside.
               Iris was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees and crying softly.

               “Honey,” Severus said, coming into the room and sitting on the edge of her bed. He wrapped an arm around her, and she snuggled against him. “What’s wrong?”

               “Harry doesn’t like me,” she cried.

               “That’s not true,” Severus rubbed her back soothingly. “He likes you very much. He thinks your cool.”

               Iris looked up at her father.

               “Really?” she asked.

               “Mmhmm,” Severus agreed. “He told me himself. And you were very helpful today. He barely left your side. I think your making him feel more at home.”

               “Why doesn’t he want to stay then?”

               Severus sighed as he leaned back on the bedframe.

               “He’s just confused. His family wasn’t very nice to him. They made him believe he had no where else to go and that he had to stay with them. They lied to him, and he thinks that he’s wanted there.”

               “But he’s not,” Iris said, “right?”

               “Right. We have to show him how much he’s wanted here. And you’ve been doing a very good job at that. So you keep doing what you’re doing. Think you can do that?”

               Iris nodded and smiled.

               “Thank you.” Severus kissed his daughter’s cheek before standing up. “Any ideas for lunch?”

 

               Harry stared up at the ceiling. In all the times he had seen Dudley throw a tantrum, Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon were fawning over him and catering to his every need. He had been so sure it would work on Severus, but instead, the man had left the room completely this time. Harry wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do now.

               Standing up, Harry walked toward the staircase he had seen Severus walk up. He paused as he watched Severus walking back down them.

               “You can’t keep me here,” Harry said as Severus stepped down the last stair.

               “I disagree,” Severus said. “I am legally your godfather, not to mention your father, and I have every intention of obtaining full custody of you.”

               “I don’t want you to,” Harry pouted. “Aunt Petunia will miss me. She loves me.”

               Severus did not comment on that. He made his way to the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing a few things. Harry was not paying much attention to what Severus was doing.

               “Please, take me home,” Harry tried, softly, using a look he had seen Iris use on Severus to win an extra biscuit. He widened his eyes and puckered his lower lip.

               “I see you’re taking lessons from Iris,” Severus muttered. “Unfortunately, given the severity of the circumstance, that’s not going to work.”

               Harry frowned.

               Iris skipped into the kitchen at the moment and Severus handed her a sandwich.

               “Thank you, Daddy,” she smiled, taking a bite happily. “Can Harry and I play outside later?”

               “Not today,” Severus said.

               “Why not?” Harry asked, pouting once more.

               “I’m sure you could give me a reason why yourself,” Severus said. He handed Harry a sandwich.

               Harry took it and stared at it. Aunt Petunia rarely gave him sandwiches, and when she did, it had cheese on it only. This sandwich had a strange filling and a slice of lettuce trapped between two slices of bread. Iris was happily eating hers while watching Harry.

               “Try it,” she said. “You’ll like it.”

               “What is it?” Harry asked.

               “Ham salad,” Severus answered, turning, and watching Harry.

               Harry took a small careful bite, chewing slowly.

               “It’s good,” Harry said.

               “See?” Iris smiled. “I told you he’d like it.”

               “So you did,” Severus agreed, taking a sandwich for himself. “Sit at the table please. I would like you to eat at least half of your sandwich.”

               Harry stared at the sandwich in his hands. That was impossible. He would never be able to eat it half of it. He was being set up to fail.

               “I can’t,” Harry said.

               “I’d like you to try,” Severus said. “If you can’t, then that’s okay. But at least try.”

               Harry took another small bite as he sat down next to Iris at the table, setting his picture down. What if he couldn’t wat a quarter and Severus decided to punish him for it? Aunt Petunia sometimes gave him impossible tasks but never with trying to eat so much food. As far as food went, she was usually happy when he didn’t finish all the food she gave him. This family was still very strange.

               Severus watched Harry chew the small bite he had taken. He knew it would be a long time before Harry would ever be able to eat a normal sized meal, but he wanted the child to at least start trying. That evening, he planned to brew the nutrient potion the doctor had written up for him, and he wanted Harry to start it first thing in the morning. He was sure it would go down very well with Harry.

               By the time Harry had managed to eat six small bites and a quarter of the sandwich, he handed it back to Severus and fearfully stepped away. Severus wrapped the sandwich up and set it in the fridge.

               “If you get hungry later,” Severus said, “you may have more of that as a snack.”

               Harry wanted to protest that he wouldn’t be here to have it as a snack and that Severus had to take him home, but Severus had already moved out of the kitchen. Iris was finishing her juice, so Harry followed Severus, catching up to the man as he sat behind the desk.

               “I want to go home,” Harry said, leaning against the desk.

               “So you’ve said.” Severus gathered a pile of essays in front of him and picked up his red-inked quill. “Unless you’d like to work on your room now, I have work I could do.”

               “I’m not leaving till you take me home.” Harry plopped down on the floor at Severus’s feet.

               “Then you can sit there until bedtime,” Severus said. His eyes scanned the parchment for a few seconds before he began scribbling on it.

               Harry pouted, glaring up at Severus.

               “I’ll scream,” Harry threatened.

               “I wouldn’t if I were you,” Severus said. He pointed up. “You’ll scare the owl.”

               Harry looked up and gasped.

               On the bird stand that stretched for the desk, was a large eagle owl. It adjusted itself on the stand as it checked out the newcomer to the family with piercing orange eyes. Harry stood up and backed away from the desk.

               “He won’t hurt you,” Severus said. “But he won’t like it if you scream.”

               “I won’t scream,” Harry said.

               “Wise decision.” Severus set his quill down and steepled his fingers, giving Harry his full attention. “You had a busy morning, why don’t you rest a bit for the afternoon?”

               Harry wanted to protest it, but he looked at the owl and then back at Severus. He lowered his head and shuffled out of the study quickly. It wasn’t fair. He was trapped in a stranger’s house, even if the stranger was his father that he never knew about. What was he supposed to do now? All the doors and windows were locked and he couldn’t seem to make them unlock no matter which way he turned the latches. Maybe Iris knew of a way out of the house.

               Harry walked back out to the dining room, but Iris wasn’t there. He moved through the living room, wondering if he’d find her in her room. Halfway through the room, he stopped and eyed the fireplace.

               He stared for a long moment, then glanced around the room. He listened for any noise from the study or the stairs. Everything was quiet. Harry moved closer to the fireplace, ducking to stand inside of it as he looked up. The throat looked narrow, but he was sure he could crawl through it. He reached up but his fingers grazed where he needed to grab on to. He ducked out of the fireplace and looked around.

               Remembering the step stool in the kitchen, he quietly tiptoed there and grabbed the step stool, dragging it into the fireplace. Kicking off his shoes and socks, he climbed to the top step and grabbed the ledge, pulling himself up and over the throat and onto the smoke shelf.

               Standing up, Harry realized this chimney was a tighter fit than Aunt Petunia’s, but he could still crawl his way out if he kept himself as straight as possible. He began pulling himself forward, crawling slowly and meticulously. The flue was very clean by chimney standards, informing Harry that someone did the cleaning. The small amounts of soot there was did sprinkle over him, and halfway up the flue he paused to cough harshly.

               Finally, he made it to the top and crawled his way out of the chimney, his entire body covered in soot. He brushed himself off with little effect before looking at the ground below. It was a long way down, and he did not have a ladder waiting for him.

               Harry sat on the roof as he thought about the times he let himself fall in the chimney. Each time, he landed on his feet. He wondered if the same would happen if he jumped off the roof. The idea frightened him, and he stayed sitting on the roof for several minutes. If he didn’t get off the roof soon, he was sure he would be caught and he needed to get as far away from this house as possible. He would free Aunt Petunia from jail somehow and they would be a family again.

               Harry stood up, hesitated, then leaped off the roof.

               He slowed down just before hitting the ground and landed on his feet. He smiled, then ran down the driveway. He stopped at the end and looked right, then left, then right again. He didn’t know which way he was supposed to go, but he decided right seemed like the best choice. He began walking down the road, keeping close to the grass in case any cars drove by.

               There were about seven houses he passed before acres of crop fields took over, and Harry wrapped his arms around himself as he kept moving, an icy feeling consuming his stomach. He had never been somewhere so secluded before. Even when he had been made to walk home there was at least a building or house in sight.

               He wasn’t sure how long he had been walking, but it was getting cold and noises from the tall grasses startled him. He coughed into his sleeve, then paused when the wind rustled the trees in the distance, and he shivered. He had no clue where Aunt Petunia was or even how to get back home and now, he was in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t fair.

               Harry glanced back, but with no houses in sight, he sighed and resigned himself to keep moving. There was a loud crack and Harry jumped when he saw Severus standing in front of him, his arms crossed.

               “Taking a little trip?” Severus asked.

               “How did you get here?” Harry swung his head back and forth.  

               “Apparition,” Severus said. “And looking at you, I’m assuming you got here by climbing out the chimney. I suppose I should have seen that coming.”

               “I’m going home,” Harry declared, walking past Severus, and continuing down the road.

               “And how do you plan on doing that?” Severus asked, following Harry.

               “I don’t know. I’ll take a bus or a train or something.”

               “Hmm. With what money?”

               “I don’t need money. I’ll sneak on.”

               “I see. And where do you plan on finding a bus or train?”

               “In the city.”

               “You mean the one twenty miles away from here?” Severus questioned. “You’ll be walking well into the night . . . in the dark . . . and the cold.”

               Harry wanted to keep going, but he was quite frightened about walking in the dark alone. His eyes watered just thinking about it and his heart picked up speed. Maybe Severus would walk with him until they found a bus or train. He had to keep going if he ever wanted to see Aunt Petunia again, but he really didn’t want a monster to jump out and attack him.

               “Besides,” Severus added, “you’re walking the wrong way.”

               At that, Harry plopped down on the ground and the tears escaped his eyes. He cried softly into his hands. He was already tired from his long escape and now he had to walk back the other way and he just wanted to go home. Severus sighed and kneeled in front of him, using a thumb to wipe a tear trailing down Harry’s cheek.

               “I’m sorry, honey,” Severus said softly, “but you know I can’t leave you out here. I know you miss Aunt Petunia, but what she did wasn’t very nice.”

               “She’s always nice to me.” Harry sniffled.             

               “I know you see it that way, and I’m trying to help you understand why what she did was wrong, but you have to stop and listen to me first.”

               “She’s all I have.”

               “Not anymore. You have me now. And Iris.”

               “I don’t want you. I don’t know you.”

               “I know. I’d like you to get to know me. And I you. Come, let’s go back. It’s getting late. And you need another bath again.”

               “I’m tired,” Harry said. He coughed and shivered. “And cold.”

               “Do you want me to carry you?”

               “I’m all dirty.”

               “That’s nothing to be concerned about.” Severus picked Harry up and carried him on his hip. Harry rested his head against Severus’s shoulder, trapping his hands between himself and Severus’s chest.

               “Aunt Petunia won’t let me near her if I’m dirty.”

               “No? But I’d bet she’d hug and hold her own son even if he were dirty.”

               “Yeah, but Dudley’s her son. I’m not.”

               “That should not matter. Now, hold on to me. This might feel weird.”

               Severus disapparated and reappeared in front of his house. He walked up the driveway, Harry still in his arms coughing slightly. Severus patted his back.

               “What if someone had stopped you on the way, hmm? Or tried to take you?”

               “I’d tell them you kidnapped me.”

               Severus chuckled at that as he opened the front door.

               “Looking at us, they might just believe it.”

               “You found him!” Iris cheered as she ran up to her father.

               Addie was there as well, and she let out a relieved breath. She frowned at the soot covering Harry and shook her head softly.

               “He’s okay,” Severus said, “but very tired. I think an early bedtime would be agreeable, don’t you?”

               Harry nodded, his eyes blinking repeatedly. Severus smiled and brushed some hair out of Harry’s face.

               “After a quick bath.”

               Harry nodded again.

               “I’m glad he’s okay,” Addie said. “I’m going to get dinner ready so he can have a little something before bed.”

               Severus whispered something to Addie so softly that Harry could not hear it despite having his head on Severus’s shoulder. Addie agreed to whatever he said and led Iris to the kitchen to be her little helper. Severus carried Harry up the stairs and to the bathroom, where he set Harry down on the toilet seat. A bath was quickly drawn, and Severus helped Harry soak and scrub since the poor child was falling asleep against the rim.

               Once Harry was clean again, Severus helped the child into pajamas and then carried Harry to his bedroom, forcing the child to sit up and lean against him.

               “I’m really tired,” Harry said.

               “As running away will do to young children,” Severus said, summoning a vial and Harry’s inhaler. “I would appreciate it if you refrained from doing so in the future. It’s a lot of hills and empty roads out here, you could get lost very easily. Then how would I ever find you?”

               “I just want Aunt Petunia.”

               “How about this? We can arrange some visits with Aunt Petunia and then you won’t have to run away. Can we agree on that?”

               “Really?” Harry’s eyes widened.

               “Against my better judgement,” Severus said, “yes, really.”

               “Okay.” Harry rested his head against Severus once more. “I would like that.”

               “And no more chimney sweeping,” Severus said. “It’s not good for you, especially with your asthma. I do not want to worry about you getting trapped in there either.”

               “I wouldn’t. I’m very good at it.”              

               “Harry.” Severus gently held Harry’s chin and tilted the boy’s head up until their eyes locked. “I am very serious about that. Do not climb up my chimney again.”

               “Okay,” Harry said. “I promise.”

               “Thank you.” Severus held out the vial to Harry. “This is your nutrition potion that you will need to start taking at every meal until we get you back on track. Don’t worry, it tastes just like strawberries. You like strawberries, right?”

               Harry nodded and accepted the potion and taking a tiny sip to make sure Severus was telling the truth. It did taste like strawberries and he finished the small vial. He handed it back to Severus, who then took the inhaler and helped Harry hold it correctly as the doctor had shown them. Harry sucked in a puff, coughing and pulling his head away.

               Severus helped Harry under the covers and kissed Harry’s temple before killing the lights and shutting the door. Harry was asleep before he even got out of the room. Severus sighed and leaned against the door briefly. It was going to be a long, few weeks trying to get Harry to adjust. And now he had to throw in visits. He had spoken to his lawyer about the problems Harry was struggling with and the lawyer had managed to grant Harry permission to visit Petunia with the hope that Petunia might unleash her true inner feelings and Harry would get a harsh reality check.

               Severus opposed of the idea, but after this bout of escapade, he wondered if it might be worth trying. He didn’t want Harry to send the jurors the wrong message by going on the stand and speaking highly of Petunia and avoiding questions. He still had yet to even explain to Harry what was going to happen. But the child did not make anything easy.

               Rubbing a hand down his face, he made his way back downstairs and found Iris and Addie working together to make the fish and chips. Addie spotted him.

               “I thought something easy tonight would do everyone good,” she said.

               “Harry’s asleep,” Severus said. “I doubt he’ll wake up until morning.”

               “The poor dear,” Addie said. “I charmed the fireplace for you. I can’t put a barricade on it as it might interfere with smoke ad carbon monoxide release, but there’s a spell that will alert you should he ever enter the fireplace again. For now, I would just try to keep him away from it.”

               “I’ll do my best,” Severus said. He leaned against the counter and shook his head. “I should have kept an eye on him. I should have known he would try that.”

               “Don’t beat yourself up over it.”

               Addie gave Iris dishes to set the table.

               “Why did he run away?” Iris asked.

               “He wants to see his relatives,” Severus answered, sitting at the head of the table.

               “Why?” Iris asked, climbing on her dad’s lap. “They weren’t nice to him.”

               “They pretended to be,” Severus said, wrapping his arms around her.

               “That’s mean.” Iris crossed her arms and glared at the food set on the table.

               “Thank you for coming over on such short notice,” Severus said to Addie.

               “Of course, Severus.” Addie waved him off. “I’ll always be there if you need me. Now that you are all set, I’ll head back home. I’ll see you on Monday, missy.”

               “Bye, Addie Bell!” Iris smiled, waving to her.

               “Bye, Iris Snape,” Addie smirked at her teasingly. “Goodnight.”

               “Daddy,” Iris asked when Addie floo’d away. “Is Harry going to be happy here?”

               “I hope so,” Severus said. “But it might take some time. He’s had a pretty rough life so far. He doesn’t know what a real family should be like.”

               “We have to show him.”

               “Exactly. Now, go eat your dinner. I think an early night will do us all some good.”

               Iris slid over to her own chair and began eating her dinner, Severus doing the same. He spotted the picture of James and Lily he had given Harry earlier, and his thoughts strayed. He wondered if Harry would ever be able to see through Petunia’s lies. Sometimes, he wanted Harry to see the truth, but for the most part, he didn’t want to see Harry break from such an emotional trauma. He couldn’t have it both ways, and if he was to convince Harry that he was going to stay, something had to be done about Petunia.

               Fate really was against him lately.

              

 

Chapter End Notes:
I did not realize I hadn't updated this story on this site. My apologies.

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