Harry opened his eyes slowly, yawning.
"Good morning." He heard from a little ways away, and he looks up to see Snape in the armchair, a cup of some liquid in his hands, and he sat up from the couch, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"'Mornin'..." He mumbled in response.
"I noticed you needed some comfort last night." Snape commented, and Harry flushed in embarrassment.
"I.. I had a nightmare.. I'm sorry sir, it won't happen again..."
Snape set his cup down on his coaster, sighing gently. "I didn't say I wasn't okay with it. It's about time you actually had a decent parental figure in your life, do you not agree?"
Harry looked down with slight embarrassment. "I-I guess so.."
Harry wasn't sure if he wanted Snape of all people as his "ideal parental figure" but... He was willing, and so far he was doing a decent job, so... How bad could it be?
"Um... Professor..?" Harry asks, and Snape looks up at him. "Yes?"
"Could I go to the Great Hall...? For breakfast..?"
Snape watched him for a moment before sighing gently, nodding. "I don't see why not. But I will have a room set up for you and you will stay there until we can figure out whether your hearing is able to be repaired or not."
"What?! That's not fair! Why-"
"My reasoning." Snape began strongly, cutting him off. "Is because I do not want your hearing to be impared any more than it has to. Being in a common room full of misbehaving and wild children will not help one bit."
Harry sighed sadly, looking down at his lap. "Okay... What about classes..?"
"If you feel up to it, then you may go to your classes."
Harry nods a little, silent.
"Please do not think this of a prison, Harry." Harry looked up in surprise at the sound of his name. He'd never called him by his first name before.. "I am merely thinking of your wellbeing."
Harry nods a little. "I understand sir.."
Snape stands up, vanishing his tea with a swish of his wand.
"Breakfast is nearly starting so I suppose we should go down."
Harry nods, and stands up as well, following Snape to the Great Hall.
When they enter, Harry immediately notices Ron and Hermione sitting at the Gryffindor table, looking worried.
Harry looked over to Snape in silent question, who nodded curtly and started towards the staff table as Harry hurried to the Gryffindor table.
He sat between the two, smiling.
Hermione immediately tackled him into a tight hug.
"Oh Harry! We were so worried! You went to that meeting with Lupin and you didn't return!"
Harry smiled a bit as he piled eggs and bacon and toast onto his plate. "Sorry... A lot happened.."
Ron's eyes then wondered over to Harry's neck.
"Harry..? What's that on your neck..?"
Hermione looked too, and gasped softly in surprise. "Harry, what is that?!"
Harry felt his neck, thinking to himself.
Ah, that's right... He hadn't been able to put the cream on it yet... It was in the dormatories...
"Ah.. That's um.. That's nothing.."
"Harry." Hermione said strongly, and Harry sighed.
"Snape got mad at my Aunt so we went to the Dursley's and Uncle Vernon attacked me while Snape was lecturing Aunt Petunia.."
Hermione stared with surprise.
"All that happened last night..?"
Harry nods.
"And um.. Apparently I'm going to be staying with Snape over summer break..."
"SNAPE?!" Ron shouted, and Harry immediately looked up to the staff table. Snape was watching the trio carefully.
"He's not as bad he seems, Ron. I'm actually kind of excited for summer now."
Ron and Hermione looked at him like he was crazy.
"He's gone mental..." Ron mumbled, shaking his head as he went back to his food.
"Harry, are you seriously even thinking? Professor Snape? The man that hates your guts?"
"He hated my father, not me. He just was too stubborn to get rid of his anger until just recently." Harry sighed. "I really do think he's a good guy. He got really mad at my Aunt and Uncle when I told him about what they've done to me."
"What they've done to you? What do you mean?"
Harry's eyes widened a little.
"I didn't tell you...?"
Ron shook his head a little. "No Harry.. You didn't."
Harry looked down nervously. "W-Well... You can ask Lupin.... If you want... I'd rather not talk about it again..."
Hermione nodded a bit, and a moment later the post arrived.
Hedwig landed on Harry's shoulder and nuzzled up against his hair a bit.
"Hey look! Sirius Black has been sighted not far from here!" Seamus said loudly.
"Sirius?" Harry asked.
"People think he's after you, Harry." Hermione said quietly.
Across the Great Hall, Lupin looked at the Daily Prophet, his heart heavy.
Sirius wasn't a bad person... He hated seeing all these terrible things about him in the Prophet..
"Remus." Snape says gently. "You're growling again."
Lupin smiles sheepishly. "Sorry. On that note, is the Wolvesbane finished? The full moon is in a few days."
Snape nods. "I have it ready for you when you need it."
"Good."
Lupin looked over to Harry, chuckling with amusement.
"Hedwig's at it again."
Snape looked over to the Gryffindor table, smiling vaguely.
Harry fed Hedwig some more bacon just as Draco walked over to them.
Ron stood up as he saw him, glaring at him. "Go away Malfoy." He warned.
"Oh, zip it Weasley." Malfoy snarled before turning to Harry. "Hi Harry. Any updates on.. You know.. Found any cure yet?"
Harry shakes his head sadly, and Ron stares with surprise. "Not yet, Draco.. There might not be anything I can do."
Draco sighs. "Damn that sucks... Are you going to classes today?" He asks, stroking Hedwig's feathers gently.
Harry nods. "Most likely. See you in potions?"
"See you in potions."
Ron and Hermione stare in shock.
"What the hell Harry? First Snape, now Malfoy?" Ron practically shouts, startling Hedwig.
Harry sighs. "They're not all that bad Ron. We just got bad first impressions."
"They're Slytherin!"
"That doesn't define who they are!"
"That defines exactly who they are, Harry! There's not one wizard that was in Slytherin that didn't go bad!"
"What about Merlin?"
"What?"
"Merlin was in Slytherin. Are you saying he's a bad wizard?"
"N-No.."
"Exactly. Not all Slytherins are bad, Ron."
"B-But both Malfoy and Snape have bullied us all since day one!"
"They've changed, Ron!"
"People don't just change like that!"
"Maybe they do!"
"I'm telling you Harry, they're bad news!"
"What do you know about bad news, Ron?"
"Plenty!"
They were both standing now, yelling at each other, capturing the attention of the entire school.
Snape stood and walked over to the two, silently fuming as Hedwig shrieked in annoyance at Ron.
He stood behind Harry, counting silently to ten before speaking.
"Harold James Potter." He said sternly, and Harry turned around quickly, surprised.
Snape motioned for Harry to follow, so Harry shooed Hedwig off, sending one last death glare at Ron before following his new father.
Snape sat him down between him and Lupin at the staff table.
"What in the world is going on with you and Mr.Weasley?"
Harry knew the entire school was listening in, and he started to feel uncomfortable.
"He's talking bad about Slytherins.."
Snape raised an eyebrow, so Harry continued quietly.
"He was saying how associating myself with you and Draco is a bad idea..."
Snape sighed.
"Do not listen to him - He's speaking out of his rear end."
Harry snorted back a laugh at this. He never thought he'd hear Snape of all people say something like that.
Snape smiled vaguely. "Do let me know if he does anything else."
Harry nods a little.
"Go back to your dorm and get all your things. I will wait outside the portrait so I can levitate your things to our quarters."
Harry nods a little and stands, walking out the Great Hall, Severus following, a hand on his back gently as they left.
Once Harry gets all of his things, he leaves a small note on Ron's bed.
Don't judge a book by its cover.
Harry drug his trunk out the portrait hole, and Snape sighed, flicking his wand, and the trunk started floating.
"You are a wizard, Harry. You are able to use magic, you know."
"Oh.. Right.." Harry smiled sheepishly. "Forgot.."
Snape rolled his eyes with amusement, and they headed off towards their quarters.
Once class started, Ron went and sat with Dean and Seamus, leaving Harry and Hermione alone.
Harry sighed, and Hermione watched him sympathetically.
"He'll come around Harry, don't worry."
Harry looks up at her, smiling a bit. "Yeah.. Thanks Hermione..."
"Harry!" He heard Draco's voice whisper loudly, and Harry turns to him.
"You okay?" He asked, and Harry nodded with a small smile.
While Harry was brewing his potion, a little paper bird flew down and landed on the desk in front of him.
Harry looked around with confusion to see who'd sent it, but he saw no one.
Sighing, he turns back to it and opens it while Hermione was preoccupied with her own potion.
On the parchment it simply had the words, "Slytherin Suck-Up" in handwriting that was purposefully messy so you couldn't tell who wrote it. Even then, though, Harry had a pretty good idea who'd sent it.
Harry crumbled up the paper and stuffed it in his bag, annoyed as he continued to work on his Potion.
All his other classes went the same way and, surprise surprise, it only happened in the classes Harry had with Ron.
It only took a couple classes, and people were hissing those words to him in the halls, in class, pelting him with papers that said it.. There was no escape...
Slytherin Suck-Up
Slytherin Suck-Up
Slytherin Suck-Up
Everywhere, every second, every hour, it didn't matter where he was or what he did, he heard it everywhere.
When school was finally over, Harry didn't bother going to dinner.
He ran back to Snape's quarters and flopped down on the couch and started crying.
He didn't know why it bothered him so much.... But it did..
An hour later, two people entered the room, and paused when they noticed a small boy with messy black hair face down on the couch.
"Is that...?" The blonde asks quietly, and Snape nods.
"He us staying in my quarters for the time being until his health improves greatly.
"Ah.." Draco sits in the armchair and Severus lifts Harry up carefully, placing him in his lap gently, holding him close.
"Harry will be staying with me this summer." Snape says, noticing Draco's confused expression. "Now, you mentioned bullying. From whom?"
"Weasley, Sir. Convincing people to call Harry names."
Snape raised an eyebrow as he took Harry's glasses off carefully, setting them beside him. "What sort of names?"
"Just 'Slytherin Suck-Up'. I can tell it really upsets him though."
Snape nods, adjusting Harry in his lap.
"The poor boy has been through enough... He doesn't need name-calling to add onto it.."
"Um.. Sir..?" Draco asks quietly, and Snape looks up.
"What exactly.. Has Harry been through..?"
Snape grimaces silently. "I suppose that would be for him to tell you." He looks down as he notices shifting, and bright green eyes are now blinking blearily up at him.
"Speak of the devil.." Snape mumbles as he picks up Harry's glasses and hands them to him, who puts them on carefully, looking over at Draco.
"Hi.." he mumbles hoarsely.
"Hi Harry. Are you alright?" Draco asks, and Harry shrugs, snuggling up to Snape a little, much like a small child. He was mainly doing it for warmth and comfort - something he'd never had before.
"I heard what they've been calling you.." He says quietly, and Harry shrugs. "Doesn't matter..."
"Yes it does, Harry." Snape says quietly. "And I shall address it to all staff and punish any student I hear say it. Bullying is not tolerated in Hogwarts, and I will most definitely give Mr.Weasley whatever punishments I see fit for starting the taunting."
Harry sighs, looking down, defeated. "Fine.."
Harry buries his face in Snape's robes, clearly done talking about said topic.
Sighing gently, Snape summons a house elf.
"Winny, if you please, could you bring us four cups of tea, cream and sugar?" The house elf nodded happily before disappearing with a pop. She arrived a moment later with another pop, and set the things on the table.
"Will that be all, Master Severus?" She asks politely, and Snape nods. "Yes, that is all. Thank you, Winny."
Winny bows down low, her nose nearly touching the floor. "Of course, Master Severus. Winny lives to serve." and she disappeared with a pop.
"Four cups?" Draco asks with confusion. "But there's only three of us."
Snape nods. "I am expecting company to arrive in a few minutes. "
As if on cue, Lupin enters the room, scratching the back of his neck with a yawn.
"Rough day Lupin?"
Lupin sighed, sitting down beside Harry and Snape.
"Had a student send a bat bogey hex at poor McLaggen. Took me ages to sort through the wands and figure out who'd sent it."
"Who did it?" Snape asked as he watched Lupin pour his tea.
"Padma Patil, can you believe it?"
"Padma?" Snape asks in surprise.
Lupin nods a bit, taking a sip from his cup. "Surprised me too. Apparently they had a bit of a trifle in the hallway and it wasn't quite settled. Sorry cub, I had to take 20 points."
Harry smiles sleepily. "'S okay Moony..."
Lupin chuckles softly. "I see you two have warmed up to each other nicely."
Snape nodded a bit, running a hand through Harry's hair as Harry slowly started falling asleep.
"I worry for him.."
Lupin nods quietly. "As do I..."
"What if he does go deaf like we assume he will? What then? Dumbledore's plan will have to change - he can't fight the Dark Lord if he can't hear."
"I don't know... Personally, I don't think he should fight at all. He's a child, not a weapon."
Severus nods in agreement.
Draco sat there, drinking his tea quietly, listening.
Harry was expected to kill You-Know-Who? That's mental!
"What's going to happen to Harry...?" He asks quietly, and Snape and Lupin turned to him quickly, obviously having had forgotten he was there.
"We.." Snape sighed gently. "We don't know quite yet... Dragon.."
Draco smiled vaguely at the familiar nickname.
"Well, you must be off to bed now, it's nearly curfew."
Draco nods, setting his empty cup down and standing up.
"Goodnight." He says quietly, and Snape nods in response as Draco leaves.
"Now." He said, looking to Lupin. "He still needs to learn his full Animagus form. That could possibly come in use."
Lupin nods a little.
"Do you know if maybe there's a potion to fix his hearing?"
"Not that I am aware of." Snape says with a shake of his head. "And I would rather not experiment and impare his hearing any more than it already is."
Lupin nods a little. "That's understandable..."
Snape sighs, looking down at Harry's sleeping figure.
Not long later Lupin takes his leave, and Snape carries Harry carefully to his new room, laying him down gently before leaving for his own room.
Snape lays down in bed, thoughts running through his head as he drifted off to sleep.
"Severus, look at this." The woman held up a small grey stone-looking thing.
"This is a Bezor. It will save you from most poisons if you swallow it. You can find it in the stomach of a goat."
Little Severus cringed, putting his black hair in a ponytail.
"That sounds disgusting!"
The woman smiles a bit and puts the Bezor back in its container.
"Mummy, when I'm older I want to teach people potions like you teach me!" He said excitedly, and his mother stroked his hair fondly.
"Persue your dreams, Severus. Do not let people like Tobias put you down. If you have a dream, go through with it." She smiles gently, and Severus looks up in wonder.
"Mummy?"
"Yes?"
"Do you have a dream?"
His mother smiled gently, but before she could answer, the sound of a door slamming caught their attention, and her face fell immediately.
"Stay here Severus." She says hurriedly, and she runs up the ladder and opens the trapdoor, disappearing from sight.
"T-Tobias, you're home early." He hears her voice say.
"Where's Severus?"
"I don't know.. Maybe he's at the park? He's been going there a lot."
"Don't lie to me!"
Snape winced at his father's tone.
He'd gone out drinking again...
That meant that both his mother and himself would get a rough beating...
"SEVERUS!" Tobias roared, and he flinched, tears forming in his eyes.
Yep... He was drunk again....
"SEVERUS!!"
Snape woke up quickly, a loud thud stirring him from his slumber.
He gets up, slipping on his black slippers and walking to Harry's room to check on him, checking the time while he was at it.
8:36... No point in going back to sleep.
Snape enters Harry's room, only to find him on the floor, wide-eyed.
"Harry?"
No response.
Snape hurries over to him, kneeling in front of him.
"Harry? What happened?"
Harry looks up at him slowly, tears in his eyes, and whispered four words.
"I can't hear anything..."