As Potter is to Snape

Chapter 11

By the time Snape and Harry came back into the kitchen, McGonagall had the table laden down with food.

"I wasn't sure what you would rather have, Harry, so I just made everything," she said when she noticed them both just staring at the table.

If Harry was surprised by the copious amounts of food, it was nothing compared to hearing McGonagall call him by his first name.

"Well don't just stand there," she said when neither of them moved, "sit down and start eating."

And so they did. Snape took his usual seat with Harry on his right, while McGonagall sat across from them.

As she unfolded her napkin and placed it on her lap, she looked over to Harry and asked, "How are your summer assignments coming along? I hope you're not going to leave them till the last minute."

Harry shook his head. "I've already finished my History of Magic essay. All I have left is Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions."

"That shouldn't be too difficult." She said as she spread jam onto a piece of toast. "That would be the great thing about staying with a professor over the summer. I'll be around should you need help with Transfiguration of course, but just think of how your potions grade could improve if Severus were to give you extra help this summer. And his lab is just down the hall so you wouldn't even need to go over to the classroom."

The very last thing Harry wanted to do was take extra potions lessons with Snape over the summer, but luckily, he was saved from answering when Snape seemed to choke on his coffee. "I beg your pardon." He finally said once his airways had been cleared and he was no longer coughing. "Potter isn't to step one toe into my personal lab. I've seen the dismal potions he produces in class. If I were to let him in there, he'd likely blow up the whole place."

Harry blushed deeply, he didn't agree with that at all. His potions weren't any worse than Neville's, though he supposed that wasn't saying very much.

McGonagall gave a short laugh, "If that's the worst Harry does, I'll say you got off lucky. I seem to remember a certain young man who blew off the entire backside of our house the summer before sixth year!"

This time it was Harry who nearly choked on his pumpkin juice. "You?!" He exclaimed, "You messed up a potion so bad that you blew up part of your house?!"

Snape glared. "That is a complete exaggeration."

"It's not and you know it," McGonagall said, not even trying to hide her smile. "I forget though, what was it that you were working on, Severus?"

Harry wasn't sure that he would answer at first, as Snape seemed to be trying to ignore them in favor of opening his newspaper and holding it firmly in front of his face, though finally, after several long minutes in which McGonagall patiently waited, he lowered it once more and replied, "I was experimenting with different ways to counterbalance the side effects of Euphoria."

McGonagall hummed. "That's right." She speared a piece of sausage with her fork and said, "And how long were you on restriction for experimenting alone that time?"

Though Harry could tell that it pained him greatly to do so, Snape grit his teeth and said, "A month."

Harry's eyes widened. Snape blowing up a potion was great, but Snape getting into trouble for it was bloody fantastic! He couldn't wait to tell Ron and Hermione about this!

"Ah, yes, and I believe you also earned the privilege of cleaning up the backyard."

"Without magic." Snape rolled his eyes, "I had to spend every weekend home from school that month just to get it done." He took another long sip of his coffee and said, "You're enjoying this."