Slytherins Son

Holidays-Chapter 11

Severus grinned as he packed up some stuff for the weekend. It had been a great week, Harry had written to him twice, (once on the first day, and once on Thursday) and had promised him he was behaving well and learning lots. Meanwhile his students seemed pleasantly confused over Severus's kinder behaviour. He'd been yelling less, taking less points and giving fewer detentions. He had given a trio of idiotic Gryffindor's a hard time, but it felt well deserved as the ringleader was a Weasley who seemed to search for trouble.

"Severus?"

Severus turns around. "Hello Albus." He says stiffly, inwardly sighing. Over the summer he had successfully kept himself, Harry and the Malfoys away from Dumbledore. Their arguing over Harry was still fresh in Severus's mind. Albus, along with the newspaper article about his lack of parenting skills, had stressed Severus, he'd spent any free time searching for a way to help Harry, and found nothing. Things like the paper or Albus reminded him of his failure so far.

"I'm just headed home for the weekend." Severus says stiffly.

"Yes, how is Harry?" The headmaster asks politely.

"Doing well." Severus simpers. "He and Draco have gotten really close."

Albus frowns. He had hoped to find different friends for Harry. Like the Weasleys, a purely Gryffindor family. He knew two of their kids would be coming to Hogwarts the next year, along with their older three brothers who had already entered the school. If Harrys closest friend was from a Slytherin family, and was being cared for by a the Slytherin head of house, he'd be more likely to end up in the sly house of Slytherin instead of the sacrificing Gryffindors like his mother and father before him.

"You know the Weasleys have a son his age." Albus says tentatively. "It would be good for him to have more than one friend; they have plenty of kids that he could get to know."

"Maybe another weekend...or Christmas." Severus says tightly. "I promised Harry we'd do some stuff together, just the two of us. He loves hiking."

"Of course." Albus frowns. "I'm sure they'd love to meet him."

"Yes, I'll...get in contact with them later." He shifts. "I better get home, they'll be waiting."

Severus casts an uncertain glare at the headmaster, was the headmaster trying to force Harry towards Gryffindor and away from him and Harrys new Slytherin family? He knew Albus didn't want him raising Harry, but he thought that the matter had settled, was he still trying to take Harry away from Severus? Severus frowns, the adoption forms were in the process of being complete, pushing Harry towards the Weasleys would do nothing...right? He shoved those thoughts away, he was Harrys guardian, Harry was his kid. Dumbledore could do a lot of things but he wouldn't be taking Harry. Severus wouldn't allow it.

He grabbed some floo powder out of the pot, determined to have a fantastic weekend away from Albus Dumbledore.

"Hello Severus."

"Professor Dumbledore..."

The man smiled at the boy, but his eyes were suspicious of young Severus. "How are you and your friends doing? You must be excited for summer."

"Yes..." Severus says, picturing his fighting parents, a house with broken plates, tearful faces and burning food. "So excited."

Albus nods slowly "I know things have been hard ever since you drifted from your friend-"

"Goodbye professor." Severus says abruptly.

Albus frowns as he watches the boy walk away, wondering what would it take for young Severus to make him open up about his life.