Harry,

I regretfully cannot make the quidditch game today as I have a time-sensitive errand to run. Good luck.

-Severus

Harry crumpled the short note in his fist. Well, that sucked. It was the first match of the season and Harry was looking forward to Severus attending, even if he was there to support Slytherin as well as him.

Harry was making his way down to the pitch a few hours later to change and warm up with the rest of his team before the game. It was his first year as Captain and they had a cracking team. Jimmy and Ritchie as Beaters, Ginny and Katie as Chasers, Ron in the goal, and Harry in his usual Seeker position. The Slytherins were already down there and running drills. A few groups of students had come down early to get good seats and watch the pre-game practices. The team changed into their quidditch gear and, after Harry’s pep talk, were soon gliding around the field.

Harry glanced up at the gathering grey clouds casting the distant hills beyond Hogwarts into dark shadow. That didn’t bode well. Harry cast a quick charm onto his glasses to make them impervious to water. He wouldn’t be much of a Seeker if he couldn’t see in the rain.

Madame Hooch gestured for both teams to get into their stating positions. Harper, the Slytherin Seeker, gave Harry a cocky grin. Harry returned the look and Madame Hooch blew the whistle. Everyone soared off. Moments later the clouds opened and sheets of cold rain pelted the pitch.

The game started rough and got worse. Gryffinder were playing like a bunch of clowns. Dropped quaffles abounded and Ron let three easy shots into their hoops. Jimmy and Ritchie, the Beaters, missed a few of the lobbed bludgers and Harry got slammed twice.

“Sorry, Captain!” Jimmy said as he shot past Harry, swinging his bat to deflect a bludger heading for Ginny. It certainly didn’t help that they were playing against Slytherin, who seemed to be on unusually fine form. They kept scoring and scoring and while the Slytherin side of the stands were going nuts, the Gryffindors got more and more quiet.

When Madame Hooch called half time, Harry was all too eager to get into the changing rooms and out of the rain. He paced before his sodden team, soaked through their uniforms and dismal.

“Okay, we haven’t had the best of starts but there’s no reason we can’t turn this around.” Harry said, clenching his fists. “I’d rather eat my broom than let Slytherin win…” he went off a bit more about how they were too good to let Slytherin win and how their second half was going to blow the crowd away.

The team left the rooms with confidence and mounted up again. Ginny scored seconds after play began, followed by Katie only moments later.

“Yes!” Harry pumped his fist. The Gryffindors in the stands started cheering again, perked up by the points. Of course this made Slytherin double down and the second half of the match was brutal. Harry took another bludger to the ribs. Katie got knocked off her broom completely, falling to the muddy pitch below. The crowd booed until Hooch ejected the responsible Slytherin Beater from the game. Poor Katie was too dazed to play anymore and Harry brought in the substitute. Gryffindor was never quite able to pull it off and when Harper caught the snitch, Harry let out a string of foul profanities.

“Language, Mister Potter!” Madame Hooch admonished after blowing her whistle.

Harry grumbled to himself as the team landed outside the changing rooms and hurried in. Harry ripped off his gloves and chucked them into the wall where they made a wet splat sound and showered rain everywhere. No one really said anything as they showered and changed clothes. There wasn’t much to say. They had lost spectacularly and Harry was actually glad Severus had missed the game. He kind of wished he had missed the game, such as it was.

“That was shite.” Ron muttered as they headed back for the castle.

“Yeah, well, there’s always the next one.” Harry said. The other team members could hear their conversation and Harry knew, as Captain, that he had to keep morale up. Secretly though he agreed with Ron one hundred percent.

“That’s the spirit, Harry.” Ginny said. “It’s just one game, we can still win the cup if we beat Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff!”

Harry conceded this with a nod. He was happy to get back inside the warm castle. The main corridor was done up garlands of autumn leaves. Pumpkins of white, green and orange were stacked on either side of the door, enchanted to stay in big towering piles. Golden fairy lights were hidden amongst the red and yellow leaves in the garland, glittering softly and casting a glow on the suits of armor below, shiny and proud. Some of them were wearing delicate crowns of frosted berries and twigs. Snow white mums edged the doors to the Great Hall and Harry sighed as the cinnamon-scented air warmed his frozen fingers. The rain hadn’t let up the whole game and even though they’d changed out of their wet uniforms down at the pitch, they’d all become damp again en route back to the castle.

“Chin up, Potter.” Professor McGonagall approached him as the team slipped into the Great Hall. The elves had set up a long table of hot apple cider and cocoa and everyone was crowded around it. “You’ll do better next time.”

“Thanks, Professor.” Harry said with a small smile. “Today was rubbish.”

She nodded and Harry sipped from a brass stein of cider. The steaming liquid was spiced with cloves and citrus and a long cinnamon stick was sticking out of it. It was delicious and Harry wrapped both hands around the warm stein. “Is Severus back yet?”

“I’ve not seen him…” She said, thinking. “He’s with Professor Slughorn, I believe.”

“Yeah he said something about an errand. Thanks, Professor.”

Harry wanted to get away from everything for a little while. He didn’t feel like facing anyone else’s sad well wishes and platitudes. He wanted to go lick his wounds in peace. He thought of the huge leather sofa down in Severus’ quarters, so much more comfortable than the worn furniture in the common room. His toes were still cold but the hot cider was warming his fingers back up. He refilled the stein with cider.

“I’m goin’ to Sev’s.” Harry muttered to Ron.

His friend nodded and Harry took himself and his cider down the winding steps to the dungeons. He passed charmed skulls floating in midair, a candle in the center making the bones glow. Luxuriant wreaths of sumptuous purple and silver-edged deep green leaves hung on the classroom doors down here in the dungeons deep below the lake. He passed the corridor to what he knew was the Slytherin common room and saw a murder of charmed fake crows hanging about the entrance. One cawed at him as he went by. Harry felt himself relaxing as he approached the familiar door to Snape’s quarters at the very end of the hallway. The Slytherin crest was carved into the thick wooden door that had neither lock nor knob. It was charmed to only allow the current head of house entrance and it was only the current head of house who could choose who else was allowed inside. Harry put his palm to the center of the crest. He felt the wards on the door do a quick scan of his magic before they relaxed and the door swung open. Harry pushed his way inside and shut the door behind himself with a heavy, satisfying thud.

“Potter?” Snape’s voice called from the kitchen.

“Severus?” Harry’s mouth curled up in a smile. Snape was here? He was back? He approached the small kitchenette and found Snape brewing himself some coffee.

“Hello, Harry.” Snape said.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were back.” Harry said, coming into the room. He leaned on the counter and sipped his cider. It was then that he saw Snape’s wet travel cloak tossed over a kitchen chair.

“I just returned a few moments ago. I didn’t know how much time it would take.” Snape poured the coffee into a mug and took a long sip of the dark brew. He swallowed and closed his eyes briefly in enjoyment before asking, “how was the game?”

“Complete crap.” Harry muttered. He rolled his shoulder from where one of the bludgers had knocked him. He’d definitely be sore tomorrow. He went out to the sitting room. A fire was burning in the hearth and the sofa looked painfully inviting. “Can I hang out down here for a bit?”

“You know that asking is not necessary.” Snape replied.

“Thanks.” Harry set his cider down and went up to his bedroom. Snape had a room put in for him here after he’d adopted Harry last summer. It was about the size of the Gryffindor boy’s dorm up in the tower. A huge bed rested in an alcove in the corner beside a thick pane of the glass looking out into the pale green lake. Twisted seaweed swayed back and forth in the current and whenever Harry slept down here he always watched the little fish that lived in the weeds, the meager light making their scales scintillate with all the colors of the rainbow. Harry loved this room, with the soft rug stitched with the Gryffindor lion and the huge wardrobe in the corner filled with clothes that he’d picked out.

He pulled this wardrobe open and reached for a dark green sweatshirt. It was a size too big on him and the inside was lined with dewy fleece. It was an old sweatshirt Snape had let him borrow ages ago that Harry had never bothered returning. The knit fabric pilled on the sleeves and chest and the elastic on the side of the collar was worn thin. Harry pulled it over his head and shoved his arms down the sleeves. The fabric bunched at his wrists and he grabbed a pair of blue socks made of thick wool and spelled to always warm the wearer’s feet. He pulled these on and sighed as his cold toes started to thaw. He tugged on a pair of soft grey joggers that had the word ‘Gryffindor’ up the leg and went back downstairs. He curled into the corner of the sofa. The brown leather creaked under his weight and he reached behind himself to grab for the heavy chunky knit blanket. The movement made his bludgered ribs ache and he hissed.

“You’re injured.” Snape said, coming into the room with a large book under his arm. He set the book on the coffee table. “What happened?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re clearly not.” He folded his arms and regarded the boy. “What happened?”

“I got hit a couple times with bludgers, that’s all.”

“A couple times?” Snape repeated. “Is anything broken?”

“No, Severus, it’s fine.”

“No one is fine after several impacts from a bludger. I assume you didn’t go to the infirmary?”

“Er, no.”

Snape shook his head and summoned a Wiggenweld potion for healing as well as an all-purpose pain relief potion. He gave them to Harry. “Drink.”

Harry popped open each vial and downed them obediently. He handed them back to Snape, who vanished them back to his potions stores before settling on the other end of the sofa.

Harry pulled the sweatshirt sleeves so they hung over his hands. Snape opened the large book. He crossed his leg over the other and propped the book up on his knee and began to read. Harry stretched his legs out and stuffed his toes under Snape’s leg, prompting a hum and soft squeeze ‘round his ankle. Harry listened to the crackling fire and the faint sound of Severus turning the pages in his book. The rubbish quidditch game seemed so far away now and Harry closed his eyes, content and at peace.