kbinnz - Harry's New Home

Snape took her to one side, while Harry waited anxiously and strained to hear. "We are idiots," he said, scowling.

Minerva's eyebrows soared. "I beg your pardon!"

"What is today, Minerva? The date?"

"Why, it's Halloween, of course. October 31st. What are you тАУ"

"And what happened on this date in Godric's Hollow?"

Minerva gasped as she understood. "Oh, my stars!"

"That's why he didn't want to attend the Feast, but he didn't want to tell anyone for fear he'd spoil our enjoyment of the festivities," Snape's voice was sneering, but Minerva saw the misery hidden behind the angry tone.

"Oh, dear." She put a hand on his arm. "Are you all right?"

"Me!" Severus stared at her. "Have you lost your wits? It's not me you should be worried about, it's your precious little lion over there. He's the one who's been traumatized tonight тАУ first by the troll, and then by me."

Minerva glanced over at the couch. Harry was watching them nervously, but she didn't miss the fact that he was comfortably sprawled on the cushions, wrapped snugly in a new bathrobe and slippers, and appeared significantly more worried about his guardian than anything else. "He doesn't look very traumatized," she commented.

He glared at her. Idiot Gryffindor! "Just because he has finished тАУ for the moment тАУ weeping and wailing and hiding beneath the furniture, does not mean he is fine," he snapped. "I was extremely sharp with him earlier."

Minerva shrugged lightly. "Severus, however understandable his motivation, the child did lie and deliberately absent himself without permission. He was also very foolish when he learned that a troll was loose in the castle and nearly got himself killed. Harry knows perfectly well that he deserved punishment for his actions."

Snape ground his teeth at the witch's insensitivity. "Minerva! I smacked him! I took away his broom for a week!"

"Good!" she said briskly. "That should make him think twice before behaving so badly in the future. I trust you came up with a similar punishment for Mr Weasley?"

Snape stared at her, too flabbergasted to do anything but nod. "No dessert for a week."

McGonagall raised her eyebrow. "You are evil, Severus. I'm quite sure Mr Weasley will long remember this punishment. I shall have to get your suggestions for Miss Granger before I leave. But for now, why am I here? Simply to allow you to confess your imagined misdeeds?"

The tart question helped to restore Snape's equilibrium. He glared. "I asked you here to tell Har- Potter stories about his parents. Those walrus-like relatives of his told him nothing but lies, and I am hardly the best person to regale the boy тАУ er, brat тАУ with Gryffindorish memories. However, such an activity seems an appropriate way to observe their memorial."

Minerva ruthlessly suppressed her own smirk. Who ever would have imagined that Severus Snape was so sentimental? "Very well. Mr Potter," she said, turning to the boy with a smile, "your guardian tells me you would like to commemorate your parents' deaths by hearing some stories of their time here at Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes flew to Snape with an expression of astonishment that quickly gave way to adoration. Snape coughed and flushed and looked everywhere but at the smirking McGonagall. Harry abruptly realized he hadn't answered his Head of House and quickly turned to her. "Yes, ma'am. Please?"

"Very well. As you may know, both your parents were in my House. I would be happy to share some memories with you, and of course your guardian can also. You know he knew your mother even before they came to Hogwarts?"

Harry glanced again at Severus and smiled. "Yes'm. I r'member the Headmaster saying that to the reporter lady a couple of weeks ago." He paused as a thought obviously struck him. "Please, though, no bad stories tonight?" he begged, his voice trembling.

Minerva frowned, not understanding.

Snape calmly seated himself next to the boy and explained, his voice even. "Potter is referring to the fact that, this evening, he would prefer not to hear examples of his father's more immature behavior, such as his tendency to bully others. Don't worry, Mr Potter, I'm sure Professor McGonagall will have no difficulty finding enjoyable stories to share with you."

Professor McGonagall was, at that moment, finding it difficult not to swoon from sheer incredulity. Was this truly Severus Snape, the man who could win a TriWizards Tournament hands-down if one of the events was in Grudge Holding? Minerva had long since resigned herself to knowing that Severus would never be able to hold a civil conversation about James Potter; the fury and hatred over how the Marauders had treated him during his schooldays was too raw within him. And yet suddenly, here he was discussing it in the calmest of tones, with nothing to indicate that for decades now he had positively foamed at the mouth whenever James' name was mentioned.

She stared at Harry, who was snuggling up against Snape with a look of hero worship on his face. The Potion Master was grumbling and scowling at the boy, even as his hands were gently pulling Harry against his side and adjusting his robe. Minerva blinked, trying hard to believe what she was seeing. She had known that Snape's rigid sense of honor would тАУ once the scales had fallen from his eyes тАУ ensure that he protect the boy and treat him with punctilious care. She had been confident that Harry's physical needs would be well looked after, though she assumed Severus' cold and distant manner would create an insurmountable barrier between them. But she had never for a moment contemplated that Severus might benefit from the relationship.

Yet the proof was before her: Severus was actually managing to display genuine affection for the boy, and even the fact that he had invited her into his private quarters was an enormous breakthrough for the intensely private man. She had never thought she would see Severus soтАж tranquil. All the rage and bitterness seemed to have been muted. Oh, he was still snappish and prickly, but that razor edge, which tended to cut him as often as anyone else, was gone. The fact that he could acknowledge the Marauders' treatment without a hissing, spitting explosion of rage was clear proof of that.

Minerva seated herself on the other side of the couch from Harry. "Perhaps you'd like to hear about the time that your mother decided to bring the house elves a treat from the Muggle world. Are you familiar with a Muggle candy known as 'pixy stix'?"

Several hours later, Harry was draped across his professor's lap, bonelessly limp and deeply asleep. The professors had told him story after story, painting a richly nuanced picture of two young people, happy and clever and fun-loving. He had finally fallen asleep with a smile on his face, feeling safe and loved as he lay against his guardian and listened to the man's deep voice reverberate through his chest.

"Great heavens," McGonagall sighed. "I thought he'd never drop off. Couldn't you have slipped him some Dreamless Sleep?"

Snape glared at her. "I do not drug my ward for the sake of convenience," he said, affronted.

McGonagall laughed softly. "Oh my, Severus. You are easy to tease."

He huffed in outrage. Stupid Gryffindors. Who can hope to understand their humor?

"All right, Severus тАУ before I leave, tell me what punishments you awarded my two lions so that I can be sure they adhere to them."

"They are on restriction for a week and must each write a three foot essay on the mistakes they made in deciding to leave the library. In addition, as you know, they each have had a favorite activity withheld for that period."

McGonagall nodded. "Excellent."

"What penance did you assign Miss Granger?"

"None." At Snape's shocked expression, McGonagall explained. "I took her to Poppy so that her wrist could be treated, and she dosed Miss Granger with a half-measure of Dreamless Sleep. There was no point in scolding the child when she was too groggy to listen. I told Miss Granger that I would discuss her punishment with her in the morning тАУ I find that giving them several hours to worry about their punishment is a most effective form of torture."