Back I Go

Chapter 4

~.~

Severus soon fell asleep after soaking up warmth from the fire, enjoying the near foreign sensation, as his father didn't bother with such trivial comforts. When he woke, he had soft blankets and the softest pillow he'd ever felt under his head, he yawned and opened his eyes, looking at the clock on the wall. He still had an hour before his father came to get him.

Severus looked around and found Harry in the room with a strange man, talking to him about something. Closing his eyes, he listened. His insides were churning, after everything the man had done for him; he was listening in on the man's private conversations? He was horrible. However, he found he could not help but hear what it is they were saying.

"They want five million galleons for it though," said the man.

"That is of no consequence. I will have it, it's perfect. I want three house elves that are free. Get me them, in fact, make that seven elves. And please and get in touch with someone about the wards," said Harry. "I need my home as protected as it can be. I will pay only the best".

"Right away," said the man.

Harry wrote out two checks: one for the house and one for the man. Handing them to him, he crossed the one for the house. Therefore, no one could use it even if they tried. The man was gone within a few minutes. Severus, still pretending to be asleep, was shocked when Harry touched his brow and said.

"You can stop pretending to be asleep now," he said, sounding amused.

"Harry! Aren't you mad I listened in on your conversation?" asked Severus meekly.

"No, I used to do it all the time. Plus, it is all right to be eavesdropping. It's getting caught that's not alright," said Harry with a smirk.

"Right," said Severus, flushing before chuckling.

"What time is your father asking you to meet him at again?" asked Harry.

"It's always five Harry," says Severus.

"Right well you have an hour to chill and have some fun," said Harry.

"I don't have fun!" said Severus sneering.

Harry had to stop himself from laughing. That was the first Snape expression he had seen on Severus so far. With a sigh, he remembered the frozen ice rink that hardly gets used. A smirk made its way across Harry's face. Apparating them to it, he changed Severus shoes into ice skates before doing it to himself.

"Woah, I'm going to fall!" Severus barely uttered those words before he fell on to his arse.

"Come on Sev,"

"Help," said Severus.

Harry held his arm out for him, stupid thing to do. Because Severus pulled him down saying, "I'll help you." Both of them ended up on the ice rink trying to get up, which took them longer than they thought.

They began skating around, doing the most daring moves. People began coming and watching. Harry saw a child by the stands, so he skated over and changed the child's shoes into ice skates before escorting the child around. Severus watched with envy.

"Don't be like that Sev. It doesn't become you," said Harry, grabbing Severus making him, hold onto the child's other hand, and together, they skated up and down with the kid in between them. The mother watched them a bright smile, lighting her face, at the look on the child's face when he was skating.

They took the child over to its mother a wee while later; the child was exhausted and looked dead on its feet. He said to the mother, "You will probably get a good rest after this."

"Yes I will thank you," she said with a smile.

"You're welcome."

"Can you charm our shoes?" asked an eleven-year-old, getting onto the rink.

"Sure." said Harry.

"Glasius skatius" said Harry, intoning it repeatedly. Finally, everyone was on the rink that was there and they all began skating. Severus and Harry both landed on their bum a good few times before they went back. Severus completely forgot about his father and the time that was until they got back to the room.

"It's seven! Oh no! My father is going to kill me!" said Severus, completely petrified.

"Calm down Severus. He will not, because you are not going back tonight. You are staying here. I will be speaking to your father tomorrow, and you will never have to see him again if I have anything to say about it," said Harry determinedly.

"Really?" asked Severus wide eyed.

"Really."

"But what about pureblood law? Any pureblood son cannot be anywhere else apart from his parents and any appointed guardian! Father could get me back within minutes!" said Severus looking down hearted.

"Don't worry I said! I will make sure you never see him again after tomorrow. Trust me," said Harry.

"I-I-I trust you," said Severus. He was scared to give someone his trust. He did not want to be betrayed.

"Good," said Harry.

"Now, go get a bath and clean up while I make you a bed," said Harry.

"Ok," said Severus.

So Severus had the warmest bath he could ever remember having, there was shampoo there, and he squirted lots of it and scrubbed his hair until he was sure it was shiny. He washed his body until it was smooth and his fingertips were soggy and wrinkled. Grabbing a towel, he wrapped himself in it and went out into the main room.

"What will I wear? My stuff is all in the house," asked Severus.

"Here wear this," said Harry, holding up a top that he had just taken from a packet. It was far too big for Severus, but it would do until Harry could get him other ones. It was big and it went all the way down to the boy's legs. It was silky and Severus liked the feeling of it. Getting into the bed Harry had made for him, without underwear, he sighed before falling asleep. Content, warm, full and happy for the first time in his life.

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future

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"I hope you succeeded Harry, or we're going to be in deep shit," said Severus, who had just gotten his next memory. Witnessing the memories as if they were just happening, he downed a bottle of scotch saluting his younger self silently.

The man was sitting, again alone, in his private quarters with nothing to show for his life, apart from potions he had created. He just hoped the man, Harry, was able to make a better person out of him than his father had.