In Your Father's Eyes

Chapter 5: Home, sweet Home?

Once the boys arrived back at Hogwarts after another weird fireplace transportation, they took Harry's new toys and clothes to the spare room in Severus' private chambers. He took the bags of candies from Honeyduke's that Harry was carrying.

Harry imedietly protested "My Candy! MY CANDY!" He reached up to try and grasp the bags in Severus' arms

"Yes but you already ate a chocolate frog and about half of your every flavor beans therefor of you ate any more you would get a stomach ache." Severus responded holding the candy even higher and out of the toddler's reach.

Harry made a pouty face but Severus wouldn't give in. He gave Harry the bag of toys in place of the candy. Within a few seconds of playing on the floor with the toys, Harry completely forgot about the candies.

Severus was busy rummaging through an old trunk. He decided to use the trunk as Harry's toy chest and was desposing of the contents.

The majority of the trunk's content were old potion ingredients, but he also had some photographs and notes from his years at Hogwarts.

Harry soon became bored of playing with his toys in his room alone and was going to ask his father to play with him.

His bare tiny feet pattered down the hall and to his father's bedroom. He stopped at the door when he noticed his father was smiling. He wasn't smiling at Harry though. Harry wondered what he was smiling at.

"Er... Dad?" Harry said still standing by the door.

Severus hadn't noticed his son standing in the doorway. "Ah. Harry look at this." He held out a wizard photograph.

Harry ran over to his father's bed in excitment. "It's moving!" Harry shouted as he stared down at the photo.

"Yes. They tend to do that. But look at the people in the photo."

Harry stared for a long time. He wasn't sure who he was looking for. There were three small children. Two, a boy and a girl, looked to be about nine, and one seemed slightly older.

The younger girl was prettier than the other with wavy red hair. She and the other girl looked similar except for their hair.

The other person, the little boy, seemed to have clothes twice his size and greasy black hair. Although the girls looked as if they had better clothes the boy seemed to be the happiest.

Harry then realized who the photo was of. "Dad is that you and aunt Petunia?"

He thought it was weird he had a photo of him and his aunt since he didn't know his father very well.

Severus replied "Well yes but I wasn't friends with your aunt. I was friends with her." Severus pointed to the redheaded girl. "Your mother."

"WOW!" Harry had never seen a picture of his mother before. "She is so pretty!"

"Yeah..." Severus smiled, "She was...Now Harry what is it you wanted?"

Severus grabbed an empty frame for the photo. He put the picture on the mantel of the fire place.

Harry had almost forgotten why he had come into his father's room. "Oh I wanted to ask you something..."

"Well go on then." Severus pat his leg and Harry jumped into his lap.

"Well Dudley and Aunt Petunia always say no..." Harry stared shyly at his feet. "WouldYouPlayWithMe? Pleasepleaseplease?"

Harry looked up at Snape with puppy eyes. Severus didn't really want ti play with him. He had work to do but hiw could he say no to the child? Severus decided the trunk of his could wait and went with Harry to play.

While they played he thought about how Harry had never known of the Wizarding world at all. How he had never seen a photograph of his own mother. That broke his heart.

Based off what he saw at the Dursley's he could easily assume they didn't treat Harry very well.

Harry was too small for his age. He was much too skinny and he didn't have much height either. His small frame reminded Severus of himself at that age.

Growing up in an unhealthy environment with his parents always bickering and then taking it out on him. He had never really had a chance until he met Lily. And even then the delicate angle was ripped from his grasp by his selfish tormentor.

"Thank you for playing with me Dad." Harry said again to make sure his father knew he was grateful.

At the Dursley's he had to be grateful for everything. He had to be grateful for even having a place to sleep. That's what rules had been set the second Harry learned to speak.

"Well it has been fun Harry but there is so much work to be done."
Severus got up from the newly cleaned floor.

Harry sighed. "Oh okay."

Harry wanted to keep playing but he also knew when an adult said they must do other things, the child should leave them to it. Another valuable lesson from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia.