As Potter is to Snape

Chapter 39

Remus and Harry apparated onto the front porch of the Manor, and Remus opened the door without a word, ushering Harry in ahead. As they came into the foyer, they heard Severus in the parlor. Both Remus and Harry looked in to see Severus putting presents underneath the tree. Harry paused for a moment to take in the sheer amount of brightly wrapped gifts before bolting up the stairs.

"What happened?" Severus asked, standing up and dusting off non-existent dirt from his trousers.

"What happened here?" Remus countered. "I thought you said you were only buying him a few things."

Severus glanced down at the gifts and frowned. He lifted his hand and scratched at the back of his neck. "Yes, well, those three aren't his." He pointed to three smaller gifts to the side of the tree and then to another near the middle. "And neither is that one. It's for Jenka."

Remus grinned, "My, my, aren't we in the Christmas spirit?"

Severus glared at his brother before crossing his arms over his chest. "What happened with Harry?"

The reminder brought the day's events back to Remus's mind and he sighed. "I yelled at him, Severus."

Severus raised a brow. "Is that all?"

"Is that all?!" Remus came fully into the room and dropped down onto the arm of the couch. "He'll hate me now."

Severus snorted. "Mum calls me the dramatic one?" When Remus said nothing in return, he sighed. "He could never hate you; he idolizes you. What happened?"

Remus took a moment to fill Severus in on everything that had happened since they had gone into the bookstore, ending with them disapparating back to the Manor. When he was finished, Severus sat quietly.

"Well," Remus started. "What are you waiting for? Go talk to him!" He pointed towards the stairs. "He's clearly upset and you need to fix this."

"How would you have me fix it, Remus? Knowing him, he's upstairs sulking because he knows he did wrong and doesn't want to be in trouble. And in his room is exactly where I would have sent him anyway, so he really is right where he should be."

"I shouldn't have yelled at him." Remus brought his hand up and bit his thumbnail, a habit he had picked up when he was young and had never been able to break. "I should have watched him better."

"And from the sounds of it, he shouldn't have lied and he shouldn't have gone to Knockturn Alley where he knows that he's not allowed to be."

"I lost my temper with him."

Severus shook his head. "No, you didn't. You were upset and you yelled. Then you brought him straight home. I would have done the same thing. I can promise you that Harry holds no ill will towards you. But if you don't believe me, by all means, go talk to him."

"Me?" Remus looked up. "Why not you?"

"I'm not the one he lied to and snuck away from." Snape answered simply.

"Yeah, but you're his parent. Not me. I'm the fun uncle, remember?"

Snape sighed before walking over and taking a seat in his chair, seemingly relaxed as he considered his brother's words.

"I don't do 'pep talks,' Remus," he finally said. "So if that's what you're after, go to Dad. What I can tell you is that if you let Harry get away with this, he will do it again. You know that. We both went through that. 'Fun uncle' or not, he's a teenage boy and he, in particular, has a penchant for mischief. He has to know that he needs to behave with you, and that if he doesn't, he'll have consequences."

"I don't want to give him consequences. That's not my job. It's yours."

"Okay, then," Snape stood up and moved towards the door. "I'll take care of it, but I don't want to hear it later, when you're moaning that I was too hard on him." Snape was nearly to the parlor door when he heard Remus move from the couch. He walked past him muttering a few choice words under his breath. Snape went back to arranging presents under the tree.