kbinnz - Harry's New Home

There was an odd roaring noise. Snape wondered faintly whether there was an ocean nearby, but they were in Switzerland, weren't they?

"Oh, for тАУ GRAB HIM!" He heard Black shout at someone and tried to look around, but there was a hard hand at the back of his neck and all he could see was the floor.

It took him a moment to realize that he was seated on the sofa and someone was holding his head between his knees. He fought free and found himself nose to nose with a pale-looking Harry.

"Are you okay, Pr'fessor?" the boy asked anxiously. "You looked really weird there for a minute."

"He just needs a cup of tea," Remus said comfortingly. "Come help me call the house elves."

Black dropped down next to him, grinning like a fiend, but Snape was so confused at the moment that all he could do was blink at him. "See?" Black said happily. "I told you you were a fuckwit. Why would I try to get custody? Harry wants to stay with you."

"But тАУ but тАУ but тАУ" Snape felt as if someone had hit him with a Confundus. Had he actually heard the boy choose him over his godfather? And Black wasn't having raging hysterics about it?

"Sheesh, Snape, you'd think we were still kids and hated each other," Black said, laughing a little uncomfortably. "I mean, did you really expect me to take Harry away from you after all you've done for both of us? What kind of prick do you think I am?" Then he hastily added, "No, don't answer that."

He nervously raked his hand through his hair again. "Look, I know I haven't exactly got a good track record where you're concerned, but I meant what I said at Azkaban. I am sorry for all the things we тАУ I тАУ put you through, and I'm really grateful to you for taking care of Harry and getting me out of there andтАж well, even if I were enough of a bastard to ignore everything you've done, I'd still not be in any shape to take Harry." For a moment, the look in Black's eyes reminded Severus of the wreck he had seen in the cell at Azkaban. "I'm still having a lot of nightmares, and I get upset really easily, and my memory's shockingтАж" Black gave a sudden, savage grin. "But the Dursleys are great for helping me work out what Remus calls my 'anger issues' and I'm doing my best to enjoy myself and make up for lost time in other ways тАУ it really is amazing what those Swiss birds do with chocolate тАУ but I'm not able to be a dad for Harry right now, and that's what he needs. And since he's already found a father, I'm certainly not about to do anything to destroy Pronglet's happiness. Besides, if I were stupid enough to think of doing it, James would return from the dead to kick my arse. And Lily would be right behind him."

Snape had honestly believed that nothing could shock him as badly as the boy's preferring him to Black, but Black's actually referring to him as Harry's father did it. He found his head back between his knees as Black shouted to Remus to hurry up with the tea.

"Are you all right, Pr'fessor? Maybe you should have a biscuit," Harry offered, hovering worriedly. "D'you want me to go an' get Madame Pomfrey? OrтАжdo they have wizard doctors here in Switzerland?"

Snape's pride finally reasserted itself. He was not about to sit here like an overemotional Hufflepuff! He managed to straighten up, ignoring the spots flashing before him. "I'm fine, Mr Potter, and do not think I was so overcome I did not see you pocket those cream cakes. Kindly remove them at once."

Harry blushed guiltily. "They weren't for me," he protested, pulling out the now-linty cakes. "I was savin' 'em for Ron an' Hermione."

"Hmf." Snape sipped at his tea and grimaced. Had the werewolf upended the sugar bowl into his cup?

"Sugar is good for shock." Remus interpreted his expression correctly. "It will speed your recovery. Trust me."

Snape huffed again, but he was beginning to feel a little better. Events had just beenтАж unexpected.

Harry sat on the couch next to him, not quite on his lap, but definitely closer than decorum indicated. He gave the brat a sharp nudge, but of course he was oblivious to such subtle corrections. Snape gave up with a sigh. There would be plenty of time later on for etiquette lessons, and тАУ if truth be told тАУ just now he rather liked having the boy so near.

Harry made sure to sit extra-close to his professor, so he could keep an eye on the man. He hadn't liked it at all when his professor had gone all funny, but Remus insisted he'd be fine and it was probably just something he'd eaten. Still, Harry was going to stick close for the rest of the visit. His professor must have noticed, because he gave him a friendly little nudge as Harry sat down, as if to say "thanks for being there". Harry scooted even closer. He knew how awful it was to be alone when you were sick, and he definitely didn't want his guardian to feel that way. "If you need anything, just let me know," he told Snape sternly. "You sit and rest, okay?"

Snape tried to understand what had just happened as he sipped his too-sweet tea. Black had actually beenтАж pleasant. He had endorsed the brat's affection for Snape (nonsensical though it was) and had appeared quite sincere in his intentions not to assume custody of the child. Snape could not have been more surprised if a house elf had punched him in the nose.

Of course, Black had called him a "fuckwit", but for Black that was practically a term of endearment.

Sirius finally managed to drag a hovering Harry away and began pulling memories out of his head and placing them in the pensieve, much to the boy's fascinated disgust. Remus settled next to Snape, and it was a measure of how rattled the Slytherin was that he didn't recoil from the werewolf's proximity.

"You look a bit confused," Remus said, his voice quiet.

"Has Black recently suffered head trauma?" Snape asked seriously.

Remus muffled a laugh. "No, but I was wondering if you had. You're usually much quicker on the uptake."

"The workings of Gryffindor minds тАУ such as they are тАУ remain mysterious to me," Snape retorted, giving him a dirty look.

Remus grinned. "Better get used to it. You're living with one now." He glanced over at where Harry was warily peering into the pensieve. "But I don't see what's so confusing."

"You don't see anything at all odd about Black тАУ Sirius Black тАУ consenting to allow his godson, the orphan of James Potter, to be raised by a greasy Slytherin who is offensive merely by existing?"

Remus had the grace to color. "Merlin, Severus, we were what, sixteen? I'd have thought you might have forgotten by now."

"And you have such a short memory for those who call you names, wolf?"

Remus sighed. "Touche. It was inexcusable then and now, but Sirius really does regret it, you know. As do I."

"He did apologize," Snape commented begrudgingly.

Remus heard what Snape had not consciously intended. "Please let me do the same. Severus, I am sincerely sorry for my actions. We treated you abominably, and we were never properly punished. Your treatment of Harry proves that you are тАУ and were тАУ the better man."

This was not helping Snape's mental health. Apologetic Gryffindors? Mouthing the very lines his teenaged self had longed to hear? Maybe he didn't need to worry about Voldemort after all тАУ surely the Apocalypse was upon them. How many more Signs of the End Times did he need?

Remus sensed his befuddlement. "Severus, I may be the one with the wolf inside me, but Padfoot has always shown a doglike devotion for his friends. His loyalty, once given, is so strong that he would have made a good Hufflepuff, if it hadn't taken such obvious courage to break with the rest of his family and join the Light."

"And this is supposed to have something to do with him not hexing me or taking Harry?" Snape demanded testily.