Snape's eyes widened.
No...
"Get dressed" he said, making sure he said it slow enough so Harry could read his lips before he left to get dressed as well.
He met Harry in the living room, and Snape took his hand, hurrying him to the Great Hall, knowing the Headmaster would be there.
Snape stormed in with Harry, capturing the attention of the people at the tables.
Dumbledore looked up curiously, as did Lupin.
"Severus? Wha-"
"He's deaf."
Silence fell.
"Deaf...?" Lupin asked quietly, and Snape nodded.
"This morning. He fell off his bed, so I went to check on him, and he said he couldn't hear."
Dumbledore looked surprised, and Snape heard someone approaching, but didn't bother to turn to see.
"Headmaster, there must be something we can do!"
"I'm sorry Severus, but I don't think we are able to do anything for him."
Severus ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to do.
"Professor..?" He heard Draco say quietly, and he turned around to face him.
"Harry has gone deaf."
Draco stared in shock.
"Completely..?"
Severus nods.
Draco looks to Harry, who has his head low.
Draco immediately went to him and wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug.
They had just become friends... And now he was deaf....
Harry pushed himself away a little, head still low as he wrapped his arms around himself.
He felt so vulnerable... So.. Weak..
Harry Potter wasn't weak.
Harry sighed sadly, and the staff and Draco watched him sympathetically.
"Professor Snape..?"
"Yes Draco?"
"Could I.. Um.. Could I sit with Harry and Granger from now on..? Since Weasley is spreading rumors and stuff and we're kind of the only friends he's got..."
Snape thinks for a moment before nodding with a gentle smile. "Yes, of course. I don't see any reason why not."
Draco beams, then turns to Harry, getting his attention before speaking slowly.
"Snape says I can sit with you and Granger at meals."
Harry smiled happily.
"Oh, that reminds me. Third years get to go to Hogsmeade, right?" Lupin says, and Snape nods. "I should probably sign Harry's fourm..."
Lupin nods in silent agreement, and he gestures Draco and Harry to sit down at the Gryffindor table.
He noticed that Ron shot a death glare to Harry as they sat down and said something to him, but of course, Harry didn't hear.
Draco snarled something back, causing Ron to fall silent, his face as red as his hair as Hermione watched with slight amusement.
Snape left before breakfast was over, trusting Remus to break up any fights between Weasley and Malfoy.
He sat at his desk, flipping through the pages of a book he'd filled with potions and spells he and Lily worked together to create in their school years.
During school, there was a deaf child in one of Lily's classes. She felt the intense need to help them, so, Snape aided her in helping create a spell to help them.
The spell would target the teacher or main adult in the room, and write down exactly what they say in the form of proper notes.
After they shared the spell with said student, Lily informed him on how much better his grades were.
Severus dipped his quill into his ink and started to write.
Harry,
I realize it might be difficult for you to take proper notes. Therefore, I will share to you a spell that will take notes for you.
Simply say, "Surdi Exponentia" and your quill will be enchanted.
The spell only lasts for one hour precisely, but you are able to recast it as much as necessary. Being that you have Miss Granger in most of your classes, tell her to inform anyone that I gave you extensive permission to use this spell if they have any questions. This includes Teachers as well as Students.
- S. Snape
When he finished the note, he set it aside to dry as he waited for the third year Gryffindors and Slytherins to start flooding in.
The moment he caught sight of Harry, he motions for him to come over to him, and Harry does, standing in front of his desk.
"Yes sir?"
Snape simply picks the now dried note up and hands it to Harry, who takes it carefully and reads it.
Harry looks up at him for a moment before smiling greatfully. "Thank you sir."
Snape nods curtly, waving Harry back to his seat.
He watched Harry all class, noticing how he watched the quill write, studying every word carefully.
When the class was almost over, Snape went over to Harry and set a note on his desk that simply read, 'Stay after class. We need to talk about something.'
He noticed that as Harry looked at the note and read it, he looked nervous.
Snape shrugged it off and went to his desk, starting on another note to hand to Harry after class.
When class was over, Harry went to his desk.
"Yes sir...?"
Snape simply handed him the note to read.
I will allow you to go to Hogsmeade under one condition. You must have either Draco or Granger with you at all times. It is dangerous out there, especially for you. The Dark Lord has followers out there called Death Eaters. They will kill you. Be careful, stay safe, and remember any defensive spells in case you might need to use them. I will inform both Draco and Granger about the matter.
Harry looks up at him, nodding a bit. "Okay sir.. I promise."
Snape nods with a smile and motions for him to leave.
"Bye dad."
Before Snape could say anything, Harry scurried out the room as he hurried to Defense Against the Dark Arts.
'I cannot believe I just said that! What if he's mad? Oh god I'm so embarrassed!'
Snape stared at the door Harry had exited from in surprise. He didn't know how to react.
Dad...?
He didn't think he'd ever thought of the possibility if being called such. By anyone.
By dinnertime, Lupin noticed something was up.
"Did something happen between you and Harry?" He asked, turning to Severus to get a better look at the dark man.
"I suppose you could say that..." Snape said quietly, and Lupin looked at him with confusion. "What happened?"
McGonnagal and Dumbledore were both now listening in, and Snape suddenly felt self-concious.
"He... Called me dad..." He said quietly, and McGonnagal gasped softly as Lupin watched in surprise.
"He did...?" Lupin asks, and Snape nods in confirmation. "He did. Right after class this morning."
"Huh. Never did I think Severus Snape of all people would be called dad."
Snape sighs softly.
"When is the Hogsmeade trip?"
"Tomorrow." Minerva informs. "I assume Harry has permission to go?"
Snape nods. "He does."
"Good."
That evening, Draco and Harry and Hermione all walked to Snape's quarters. Harry opened the door and stepped in, ushering the two in as well.
"Good evening." Snape says without looking back at them.
The trio went over to Snape and he ushered them to the couch across from him, and they sat down.
Well, Draco and Hermione did. Harry however, took his usual seat in Snape's lap, much to Hermione's surprise.
"Winter is coming soon - the temperature is dropping, and I suspect it will begin to snow by tomorrow."
The trio nodded a bit.
"In the case of tomorrow, I must ask both Draco and Miss Granger to accompany Harry while in Hogsmeade. There are dangers there, and I fear for Harry's safety. I trust you two will keep him protected to the best of your ability."
Hermione and Draco nod in unison.
"Yes sir, we will."
With that, Hermione and Draco left, leaving Harry to fall asleep in Snape's arms.
The next morning, the students of Hogwarts year 3 and up were rippling with excitement about the upcoming Hogsmeade trip.
After breakfast, the students lined up to give McGonnagal their permission slips, but Harry realized that he didn't have his.
He went up to McGonnagal nervously.
"U-Um.. Professor.. I.. I don't have..."
"Professor Snape has already taken care of your permissions, Mr.Potter."
"Oh, okay." Harry smiled sheepishly and turned to go back to his friends, but was stopped.
Harry turned around to see Snape in front of him.
The tall man motioned for Harry to follow him and they went off to the side, a few students watching with wonder.
"What is this?" Snape asked, plucking at Harry's thin jumper.
"Um.. M-My jacket..." Harry said quietly.
Snape sighed, and handed a big black coat to Harry, who looked at it with confusion.
"It will not due for you to freeze to death, Harry. Put this on." Snape sighed, and Harry nodded, quickly putting the coat over his jumper.
"Thank you dad."
And he ran off before Snape could question him.
Again.
Harry, Hermione, and Draco headed off to Hogsmeade with excitement.
"Oh, Harry, do you want to visit Zonko's? Hermione?"
Hermione shook her head. "No thank you. I'm just going to go to the bookshop."
Harry laughs a bit. "Leave it to Hermione to immediately go to a bookstore."
Hermione huffed and turned on her heel, stomping away through the snow.
"Stingy.." Draco mumbles, and Harry nods in agreement.
"Well, let's go!" And Draco proceeded to drag Harry inside.
Hours later, their pockets were bulging with jokes and sweets from Zonko's and Honeydukes, and Draco convinced Harry to come with him to see the Shrieking Shack.
Harry was hesitant, but all it took was a "You chicken?" and he was up the hill in a flash.
"People say it's haunted." Draco explained to Harry, who then turned to look at the shack with interest.
They then headed back to Snape's quarters after they met up with Hermione, chasing each other and racing to see who was the fastest.
"Boys..." Hermione sighed.
Harry won of course, he won by quite a bit actually, having years of practice to aid him.
Harry knocked on Snape's door, and Draco tapped him to let him know it was okay to enter.
"Moony!" Harry said in surprise, running over to the werewolf and hugging him tightly.
"Hey cub." Lupin smiled, looking worse for wear and rather ill. "How was Hogsmeade?"
Harry grinned wide. "It was great! Really great! Draco and I went to Zonko's and Honeydukes and got a lot of stuff!"
Harry then piled all his sweets and jokes onto the table beside Lupin as if to prove he wasn't lying.
"My my, that is quite an assortment." Lupin muses, and Harry runs over to Snape, jumping up into his lap excitedly, his cheeks and nose still red from the cold.
"I do believe some hot chocolate is in order, yes?" Snape suggests, and Harry, Draco and Hermione all nod in unison.
With a call of a house elf, three piping hot cups of cocoa were distributed between the three children as Lupin poured himself a brandy, ignoring the hard glare he received from Snape.
"Thank you!" The children said greatfully, and they began to drink their drink carefully so they wouldn't burn themselves.
"So, what all did you do today?" Snape asks Harry, and Harry had to swallow before replying.
"First we went to Zonko's, and we saw all these cool things that I know you'd never approve of-" Lupin snorted at this, and Snape smiled vaguely with amusement. "- and then we went to Honeydukes where Draco tried to make me try a blood lollipop!"
Draco chuckled at the memory of nearly shoving the "candy" down his friend's throat.
"Then we went to the Shreiking Shack!"
Lupin froze at this, nearly choking on his brandy, capturing everyone's attention, including Harry's when he had noticed everyone else staring at him.
"You went into the shack?"
"Well, no.. No one's allowed inside. We were only allowed to look from a distance."
Lupin sighs gently.
Good...
He stood up after finishing his glass, vanishing it with a flick of his wand.
"Well, I'd better be off to bed. You all should too." He says, and Draco and Hermione nod a bit.
"Finish your drink quickly and go with Lupin. He will escort you back to your common rooms."
Draco and Hermione nodded, quickly finishing their drinks and standing up. "Bye guys! See you tomorrow morning!" Harry said with a smile and a wave, and they return it before leaving behind Lupin, leaving their empty mugs on the floor.
Snape vanished the mugs with a flick of his wand, and Harry snuggles up with him, closing his eyes as he sips his cocoa quietly, enjoying the warmth of both Snape and the fire in the fireplace.
Snape must've done something to make the room seem more festive... The air smelt vaguely like cocoa and peppermint - Christmas scents that Harry enjoyed much more, now that he was finally allowed to be a part of it.
Snape taps his shoulder gently, and Harry looks up at him in question.
"I have a question." He says and Harry shifts a bit so it's easier to see him.
"Why have you started calling me dad?"
Harry smiles a little. "Well, you're my dad, right?"
"Not biologically."
"I know that." Harry laughs a bit. "You adopted me from the Dursley's. When a kid is adopted a lot of them like to call their new guardians dad or mum. So now you're my dad! Right...?"
Snape smiles a little, hugging Harry close.
"You silly child... Of course I'm your father. I could not wish for anything else."
The next Hogsmeade trip just couldn't seem to come fast enough.
However... Harry had something better to look forward to.
Christmas!
Christmas was just a week away and Harry was excited to see what Severus would get for him.
He didn't expect much, of course - he didn't want Snape to waste his money.
Snape, however, felt that Harry should have a decent Christmas for once.
Therefore, on his break time while Harry, Hermione, and Draco were visiting the Half-Giant for tea, he went to Diagon Alley in search for decent presents for the child.
The first few days, he came back with.... Nothing. He had no idea what Harry liked other than maybe Quidditch.
So, he decided to get help.
"Remus, I need some help."
Lupin looked interested. "Oh wow, and here I thought the great Severus Snape was far too proud to ask for help from anyone."
"Shut it, Werewolf. I don't know what to get Harry for Christmas."
Lupin smiled.
"Don't worry. I've got you covered."
Severus woke up Christmas morning, Harry sitting quietly beside his bed, staring up at him.
"Harry? What are you doing?" He asked as he sat up, combing through his hair with his fingers with a tired yawn.
"Waiting for dad to wake up." Harry replied simply, standing up.
"Can I go open presents?"
Presents? Ah, right.. Christmas..
"We must wait for Draco and Remus and Miss Granger. They will all be visiting this Christmas to accompany you."
Harry whines.
"Calm down child. It should not be but an hour or two. We must go down to the Great Hall for breakfast."
Harry sighs and stands up. "I'll go get dressed."
"Do." Snape agreed, ushering Harry out his room before shutting the door so he could get dressed in his usual black robes.
Harry and Snape walked into the Great Hall together, Snape's hand on his shoulder gently, capturing the attention of the few people in the large room.
"Would you like to sit up at the staff table with Remus and I?"
Harry nodded eagerly, and Snape leaded him to the staff table, summoning a chair for him.
Harry sat down, grinning up at Remus and Severus excitedly.
Remus smiled and toussled Harry's hair before continuing on his coffee.
"Minerva, how is Harry coming along with his transformation?" Snape asks as he ate, earning a proud smile from the woman.
"He is doing marvelously. He is making so much progress in a very short amount of time - he's nearly complete."
"Already?" He asks with surprise, and Minerva nods. "A few more lessons and I believe he'll have had it."
Snape looks down at Harry, who grins proudly.
By the time breakfast was over, Harry was practically shaking in his seat.
His last two Christmases were wonderful, but he knew this one would be absolutely amazing, because he finally had someone to share it with other than his friends.
The moment Snape stood up to leave, Harry dashed towards his quarters, and Snape sighed.
"Stay calm, Severus. He is a child - it's only normal for him to be excited."
"He is 13 years old. I believe he should have some restraint."
"He also has not had a proper childhood. Cut him some slack, will you?"
Snape sighs and nods, going back to his quarters with Lupin.
When he opens the door, he's greeted with a chorus of little Hello!'s.
"Good morning Draco. Good morning Miss Granger. When did you two arrive?"
"Just now." Draco informed, helping himself to some of Harry's leftover candy from Honeydukes.
"Well, there is one present for the both of you." Snape says, and Draco smiles with a small nod.
They both find their present and sat by each other, waiting for Harry to pick out a present.
Harry picked one out and set it in front of him and began to open it carefully so he wouldn't tear the paper.
Both Draco and Hermione opened their presents as well, just not as careful as Harry was being.
Hermione got a book of course, Draco got a wand holster, and Harry got a broom servicing kit.
Harry started opening his other presents as Draco and Hermione watched with interest.
When he was done, there were little stacks of wrapping paper, neatly folded.
Snape was surprised he was being so neat.
Just when he thought the night was over, Lupin went over to Harry and knelt down, holding a small box out to him.
"I'm sure your father would like you to have this."
Harry looked up to Snape with confusion.
"Not Severus. I'm talking about James - your biological father. This used to be yours."
Harry took the box carefully, as if it were made of glass.
He opened it, setting the lid down gently before setting the box down as well, pulling out a small stuffed animal - much like a wolf or a large dog.
"You used to call him Padfoot." Lupin smiled, sitting down next to Harry. "You could play with that thing for hours and never get bored. If you started getting rowdy, all we had to do was plop that thing in front of you and you'd start playing. Always cracked Lily up."
Harry laughed gently, looking at the toy fondly.
It did seem rather familiar...
Harry stacked all his new presents up against the wall as well as the folded up paper and ran to Snape, hopping up into his lap happily, snuggling up to him.
"Thank you dad..." He mumbled before falling asleep in his lap, clutching 'Padfoot' close to him.
Lupin smiled gently at the scene.
"He must've not have gotten much sleep last night, huh?" He observed.
"I woke up to him sitting on the floor beside my bed, watching me, so I assume not." Snape chuckles.
"Perhaps when he has woken up, him, Draco, and Miss Granger can go outside for a little while."
Lupin nods a bit. "Sounds like a plan."