Chapter 7 : Winter's Tale
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"Quite interesting young Harry." Albus Dumbledore stated regarding the young boy who was still staring at the now empty corridor clutching his book tight. "Maybe you can help him little one." He said sifting Harry so he could hold him better in his arms. "Maybe you already have." He added and walked towards the room where a great birthday cake was about to be brought in.
Hogwarts had always been beautiful during winter. Well, Severus thought, Hogwarts had always been beautiful, disregarding the season. But there was just something about the fresh snow that made it all feel purer in a way. Cleaner. As if the sparkling blanket of white gave you a clean slate, an opportunity to start over. Or something like that, Severus berated himself for his sentimentalities. Just what he needed in a day like this.
It was Christmas. He had never been truly partial to the holiday. Not that he had even been partial to any holiday; after his mother had died there was no notable celebration of anything at his home. Birthdays and holidays came and went with no apparent change in his and his father's everyday life. He used to pretend it was okay with it, that he didn't want to celebrate anyway, but deep down he missed it. He tried to recall the last time he had seen a Christmas tree in his house or any other type of holiday decoration; his memory failed him. He shrugged his gloomy thoughts of the past away and focused on his current predicament; he had opted to spend his holidays at Hogwarts of course. And Christmas dinner was fine, just as the whole winter break while the castle was almost vacant student-wise.
Severus couldn't believe the dunderheads he had been given for students were for real; it was a fight just to prevent his classroom from blowing up and the melted cauldrons! Merlin the melted cauldrons! How on earth had his students managed to melt fourteen cauldrons during mid-term alone? Given the cauldrons destroyed would have been thirteen but Sybill Trelawney and her crazy mumblings about the bad luck brought by said number -and why oh why had he ever had the idea to mention just how many melted cauldrons he had at his class during lunch?- had almost driven him insane; he had destroyed the fourteenth cauldron by himself one day when she had visited the dungeons just to make the divination professor stop.
And speaking of visits, back to his latest problem; the Potters had been invited to Hogwarts for Christmas day. Why? Only Dumbledore knew. And, when you thought about it, even that was doubtful considering half the time it was difficult to see if Dumbledore's actions were planned at all or were merely inspirations of the moment. Not that the man couldn't plan ahead. Severus was well aware that the Headmaster could plot faster than he devoured his beloved lemon drops; and for those not in the know that was very fast indeed.
Maybe this whole thing was a plot after all; maybe Dumbledore was testing him to see if he would crack under pressure. Plausible. Why else would he have decided to call the Potters along with the fleabag and the werewolf over? And even if Lupin wasn't all that bad, the mutt was impossible, just like James Potter. Then there was Lily. Severus didn't really want to go there. Thinking of her with James on a daily basis made him sick. Thinking of her with James during holidays, thinking of all those stolen kisses under the mistletoe he had witnessed back in his seventh year, was reason enough to jump from the seventh floor window. Something he would do, if he didn't know how to fly. Damn.
And now he would have to add two sons in that blissful family picture. The famous and much celebrated Adrian, the boy who lived, and Harry. A memory of large, sad green eyes and his name called resurfaced at the memory of the boy. He had thought often of Harry. The boy had seemed to be at ease with him whereas seventh year students feared even his shadow -and how sad was that considering he was only five or four years older than them? And he had actually made Severus feel something else than pain and hatred, something that hadn't happened since before the war. He had made him feel part of a family too, something that hadn't happened since, well, ever.
Severus considered how futile those thoughts were; the boy was barely two when he had seen him last and it had been six months since then. Six months for Harry would be one fifth of his life so far; Severus didn't expect Harry would even remember him. And it really didn't matter his heart fell a little at the realization; he had survived worse.
It was exactly the Potter visit that had him locked in his office. The family had arrived sometime during the morning and had just taken lunch. Severus, who didn't eat much anyway, had decided to pass, and had spent his morning reading instead. Harry would like reading growing up, he thought randomly and let his head hit the desk behind which he was seated with a groan. Where had that one come from?
He knew he had promised Dumbledore to attend at least one of the meals for the day, but he just couldn't do it. And he shouldn't be forced to! Why should Albus dictate what he should do after all? The war was over and he was not his spy any longer! With that in mind he rose from his chair with conviction; he was going to tell Dumbledore he would be dinning out and he was going to do it now!
He exited his office, his cape bellowing at his wake as he ascended the stairs, making sure he took the long way round, not wanting to run into any of the castle's visitors. He made it to the Headmaster's office ten minutes later and made a quick rehearsal of what he wanted to say; he wasn't going to be bossed around like one of the students! He was a teacher here and his own man and Albus should better remember it! Satisfied with what he had planned, he turned towards the gargoyle that marked the entrance to the office.
"Jelly Slugs." He said with a strong voice, flinching slightly at the preferences the Headmaster had in candy. Jelly Slugs? Terrible. He marched to the stairs and straight towards the office's door, which he then proceeded to knock with decision.
"Enter." Came the voice of the old wizard and Severus, without further ado opened the door. With his gaze directed at Albus, he walked forward and greeted him.
"Headmaster." He offered curtly.
"Severus my boy! We missed you at lunch."
The Headmaster said his eyes twinkling.
"And you will miss me at diner too. Listen Albus you must understand…"
"Sev!" A child's voice interrupted his planned speech and startled the potions' master beyond expectation.
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