Can't Catch Me Now / Severus Snape

23. Hidden Gems

A summer day in the life of Harry Snape always started with his little sister pushing open his door the moment she was awake and jumping on his head. 

"Wake up sleepy head!" Aria declared jumping on harrys bed.

"Stop it I dont have to get up yet." Harry whined. Aria kept jumping on the bed though. 

"WAKEY WAKEY EGGS AND BACEY! " Aria shouted. 

"It's summer! Let me sleep." Harry grumbled. 

"Sleep well?" Severus whispered kissing along Lilith's neck. She hummed her agreement, his hands wrapped around her, sliding under her shirt. "If the kids are still asleep I say we jump back in bed... what do you say?" Lilith spun to face him, kissing him eagerly. Aria jumped off the bed and ran to the kitchen. 

"Morning my love." Lilith cooed. "Back to bed no more.' She whispered back to Severus, his hands pulled free from her shirt. 

"Can someone tell Aria she doesnt need to wake me up every single day?" Harry groaned. "She doesnt listen to me." 

"Of course I dont listen to you." Aria agreed. 

"SEE!" harry declared. Severus kissed Lilith's shoulder before turning back to the stove, and mixing up the eggs. AN owl hit the window and they all turned. "Thats Ron's owl." Harry remarked. Hootie moved to the window taking pity on the old owl and plucking the letter from him. Aria ran to the window picking up Ron's owl and snuggling him close. 

"I'm going to call you Breakbones." Aria decided. "Since you want to break the windows." 

"He has a name and he isnt ours to keep." Harry corrected as Hootie dropped a letter in harry's juice. "Hootie!" She hooted back at him bored. 

"Be glad she delivered it at all." Severus countered. "Dont you shit in my food," Severus swatted a hand away as Hootie flew towards him. "Drama queen.' He muttered. 

"Could I see Ron?" Harry questioned curiously. Severus and Lilith shared a look before turning back to their morning tea. Harry cleared his throat. "Loving wonderful parents, might I go visit Ron today?" Harry requested louder this time. He waved the raven. Ron had been asking and asking for harry to come and visit and it just hadnt been the right time. "It can be an early birthday gift." Harry enticed. "Please."

It wasnt just the fact that Ron and hermione thought that Harry's parents might have been evil most of the term that made Lilith and Severus hesitant to send him off alone to Ron's house, it was the fact that the Weasley's although lovable and adorkable humans, they were not known for their love of slytherins and Snapes. Lilith just worried what would happen but she shouldnt be because Harry had declared time and time again that his parents were good and the rest of the his class was stupid for believing that all Slytherin's were evil. 

"I suppose thats fine." Lilith agreed softly. Severus stared back at her though. 

"Cool." Harry whispered.

"He could come here, I know they have what is it, a zillion children, it will be cramped." Severus countered. 

"He wants me to see his house, its like really tall, not big like Draco's house but big like... tall." 

Lilith hated dropping him off. Aria stared up, up, up at the Burrow. Harry was excited. Percy answered the door and Lilith remembered how much she liked the majority of the Weasley children, it was just Ron that was a problem it seemed. 

"Professor Snape!" Percy declared. "I did all the assigned reading and I'm going through it again, I had some questions on the secret passages of london if you have a moment?" 

"I do." LIlith agreed. 

"You said we were getting  cookies after we dropped Harry off." Aria grumbled stomping a little foot on the uneven floor boards. 

"Please come in." Percy declared pulling the door open wider for them and gesturing them inside. Lilith looked around cautiously as the Burrow. Shoes, coats and mismatched socks lined the entryway, pictures hung crooked on the walls and every floor runner was slanted or curled under itself. Lilith liked order and the weasley house was anything but.

"Is Ron around?" Harry questioned. 

"Up in his room." Percy agreed pointing to the stairs. 

"Percy who was it?" Molly questioned her son. "Percy!"

"It's Professor Snape, mum!" Percy answered. 

"Snape? Heavens what does he want- oh... Lilith." Molly corrected. 

"Harry and Ron have been writing, Ron invited Harry over to play-"

"Mum, we not kids we dont play anymore, we hang." Harry corrected. 

"Okay my little man." Lilith agreed. 

"I play." Aria countered. 

"Yes, harry! Ron has told us so much about you!" Molly declared. "And percy speaks highly of his Ancient runes class as well. Harry, ron is up stairs- oh Ginny! Ginny, can you show harry to Ron's room?" Ginny stared wide eyed at Harry. Harry gave her a small wave and she ran up the stairs with an embarrassed squeak. "Well go after her."

"Bye mum." 

"I will be back in an hour-"

"Two!" Harry countered. 

"I will bring you boys up a snack!" Molly called out. "Might you stay for tea?" 

"I promised cookies.'' Aria grumbled. 

"I would but I should get going, is it alright if I pick Harry up in an hour or... two?" Lilith questioned. 

"Certainly, more than happy to have him." Molly assured. 

"Great. Sorry Percy. Read the mystics hidden desire, its very educational." Lilith suggested. 

"That sounds like a romance novel." MOlly countered appalled. 

"Read it backwards." Lilith added softly. Percy's eyes went wide. "Plenty of muggle books that it turned around hold true mysteries in them. Good luck, I expect a full report before term starts again." 

"This place is so cool." 

"You think?" Ron questioned. 

"You got stuff everywhere! My room is so clean." Harry blurted out. 

"You calling me messy Snape?" 

"A bit, yeah." harry agreed. 

"Come on, I will show you all my games." Ron pulled open his trunk. "Mainly hand me downs from my older brothers, they dont all work but some are hidden gems." Ron assured pulling out a little device.

"What's that do?" Harry questioned. 

"Not a clue, I keep banging it against the trunk to see if that would work, turn it on." Ron shrugged. 

"Are you counting down the minutes?" 

"The Weasleys are fine people, a bit strange but fine." Lilith countered. "I just... Ron was a shit head this whole past year." Lilith barked out. 

"I know." Severus agreed kissing her cheek. "But now that they know we are not the bad guys and harry has always known we are not the bad guys, things will be okay." Severus demanded his words to be true. 

"What about Voldemort?"

"What about him?" Severus countered pouring a tall glass of whiskey, this seemed to have turned into a whiskey type of conversation. 

"He is trying to come back... he has people that want him back... what do we do? How do we keep our family safe?"