"Severus I can't tell you again how sorry I am, really, this was just-"
"I understand," Severus lied wearily. He'd been talking with Minister Fudge for hours now and he was exhausted. He wanted to go home, ensure his ward was safe, and then sleep. Preferably for at least twelve hours.
"Come now Severus, you must be exhausted," Lucius cut in smoothly, interrupting another round of apologies from the Minister. "Cornelius, if you'll excuse us."
"Oh of course!" Fudge said, bouncing on his feet just the slightest amount and wringing his hands together. "Don't you worry Severus, they won't be bothering you again!"
The most reaction Severus could summon at that ridiculous comment was a small wave as Lucius put a friendly hand on his shoulder to guide him out of the Minister's office and to the floo's.
"Jesus Christ," Severus muttered. "What a nightmare."
"A nightmare? Severus, you spent less than two hours in a holding cell. I would call that a win," Lucius murmured.
"The holding cell was preferable to listening to Fudge bumble on for-" Severus checked his watch and swore to see it was already nine o'clock in the morning. "Five hours."
"Yes, well," Lucius gracefully lifted one shoulder in a 'what can you do' type of way that ground on Severus' nerves in his current exhaustion. He had been 'brought in' (for Amelia firmly stated he was not being arrested despite the fact he was apparated directly to a holding cell by an infantile auror) and interrogated for hours. He repeated the story he concocted calmly several times without wavering in the details.
They dueled. He had meant to incapacitate Avery by an air embolus to the leg. He had not meant to hit his chest, but since Avery had been dueling to kill- he was not remorseful either.
He had been... surprised?... when Amelia failed to mention Potter's involvement in the fight. He was hardly going to outright ask her about her reasoning, Slytherin's were never ones to look a gift horse in the mouth, but he suspected it had much to do with Potter flinging curses and casually stating that he forced Susan Bones to leave the campground so that she would be safe. Amelia likely rewarded his loyalty with her own.
What was more than that though, was his shock at hearing that Black had immediately sent Lucius a message to meet Severus at the Ministry and act as his legal representation at Black's own expense.
Which Lucius had done as soon as he had finished hiding from his fellow Death Eaters and the on scene law enforcement.
"Ready?" Lucius asked him, a smug look on his face.
Severus grit his teeth at how irritating Lucius will now be. Severus would have to find a way to repay the man for involving the Minister on his behalf or suffer a smug Lucius for months. An act he could have done himself had he thought of it. Though, he likely never would have because he did not think that the highest ranking Ministry official in the United Kingdom would come to his immediate defense, but still. Lucius had no cause to appear so smug.
"I will meet you there shortly, Narcissa and Draco are at home at the moment," Lucius said as they stepped up to separate floo exits.
"No need," Severus waved off his offer. "I am jinxing the boys to their room and then sleeping until dinner."
"Good luck with that," Lucius chuckled. "Potter was-" Lucius shook his head slightly and lowered his voice so none could overhear. "Potter was something last night, was he not?"
"He was," Severus agreed shortly. Potter was something. Though Severus believed that something was brash, foolish, thick headed, and idiotic. "Goodnight."
Lucius sent a pointed look toward the sunlight filled windows before shaking his head and stepping in to his floo. Severus did the same and called out his home address with no small amount of relief.
"Professor!"
Severus stepped through his fireplace and was immediately confronted with Theodore leaping to his feet from the sofa he had been nestled upon.
"Snape! They released you?"
"No I transformed into a flea-ridden mutt and escaped," Severus muttered sardonically as Black strode in to the room. "Where is Harry?"
Severus had two things on his mental to do list and neither involved small talk over shared experiences with Sirius Black.
"Uh..." Theodore and Black exchanged uneasy looks and Severus had sudden visions of Potter on an absolute rampage through the ministry.
"Where is he?" he repeated severely. Or, as severely as he could given he had not slept in over 26 hours at this point.
"Your room," Theodore answered immediately. "He stayed in there last night."
"He what?" Severus felt caught rather off guard at this odd response. Why in Gods name would Potter sleep in his room? He looked over at Black who nodded in agreement. "Why did he sleep in my room?"
"I don't think he slept much," Theodore muttered.
"Excuse me then," Severus said coolly, quickly ascending up the staircase.
Severus swore if he found out Potter had 'not slept much' by entertaining Weasley in his bed while he was at the ministry that he would just kill the fool child and be done with it.
He threw open his door and was surprised to see his room was empty.
No, not empty. For Potter was on his bed, just as Theodore had said he was, only curled up small and buried beneath Severus' blanket, sound asleep.
And thankfully alone.
Severus quietly crept closer and stared down at foolish child. But Merlin, Potter hardly looked to be the devastating tornado of trauma, bad decisions, mental illness, and magical power that Severus knows him to be when he is like this. His fringe was plastered to his forehead, his jaw relaxed and slack with sleep, and the dark tear stained smudges beneath his eyes were a testament to how little he had slept in Severus' absence. No, he was hardly the chaotic demon Severus so often dealt with in this state, he looked terribly young and fragile.
Severus sat on the edge of the bed and gingerly smoothed Potter's hair off his face.
"What am I to do with you child?" he murmured, his previous fury melting away at the vulnerable state Potter was in. "You foolish brat."
Severus stroked Potter's hair for a few minutes, lost in silent contemplation, when the head beneath his hand abruptly jerked upright and Severus suddenly found himself with an armful of a sobbing teenage boy.
"I- I thought they'd try and k-keep you away forever," Potter rasped out between the most pathetic wails Severus had ever heard.
Good Lord, had it only been seven hours since he'd sent Potter home and been arrested?
This... this surely this was not a healthy reaction.
"I didn't want to lose you too," Potter wailed.
"Me too?" Severus felt his chest freeze at Potter's words. What had he missed?
... Weasley.
For the love of God, how had he forgotten that he sent Weasley's limp body back right before the night had truly gone to hell? Lucius hadn't mentioned it when he arrived at the Ministry, but that was hardly something he would have cared about.
"Harry-" Severus gently pulled Potter back so he could see his face. His tear streaked face. "Harry where is your Weasley? Is he injured?"
"He was," Potter said, wiping his face with his jumper sleeve which may have been one of the most disgusting things Severus had ever witnessed, and he was a Potions Master. "Got a concussion, didn't he? Cissa said he was fine though. M-Molly told him to come home."
Severus quickly did a tally of anyone else Potter may have been counting as someone he had lost.
Lupin, perhaps? Severus had not seen him after the fight started, he had assumed the man had known his status as a werewolf would be looked down on as much as the masked Death Eaters would be and fled when the Ministry workers arrived.
"Harry, you said you did not want to lose me too, who is gone?"
Potter swiped at his face once more and gave Severus a sorrowful look.
"Fred," he said quietly. "B-broke up, didn't we?"
Potter clearly attempted for a nonchalant tone, but it was belied quite clearly by his expressively devastated eyes.
Severus, who had rarely in his life ever offered comfort to another human being, silently opened his arms wide in an invitation for Potter to return. He was exhausted, but Potter had also clearly had a rough night and Severus would hardly send him on his way in his current state.
Potter stared at him for a moment, his initial surprise at seeing Severus receding and his hesitance returning, before he slowly leaned his head on Severus' chest and allowed him to wrap him in a loose embrace.
"Why would you break up with him?" Severus asked softly once Potter's shallow breathing evened out to something more natural.
"I didn't, he did," Potter mumbled in to his chest. "He left cause I... Him getting hurt was my fault, yeah?"
Severus was going to wring Weasley's neck. Why would he end his relationship with Potter when he had stubbornly insisted on staying and fighting by his side last night? Potter sent Theodore and Miss Bones home before jumping in to the fight, Severus doubted whether he had put a wand to Weasley's head and forced him to stay.
God damned Gryffindors.
Severus took a bracing breath and knew it would do no good to lie to Potter.
"Weasley was injured at the hands of a Death Eater, but he would not have been there if you had take everyone home and left when I instructed you to," Severus said slowly. It felt cruel, saying these things now when Potter was leaning against him so uncharacteristically vulnerably, but Potter needed to hear them. Severus could not go through this again.
"And the cops arrested you... and that was my fault too?"
Severus almost stopped his admonishments when Potter sounded so quiet and so...
Regretful.
Thank God.
Severus had rarely seen Potter regret a single decision in all the years he had known him. They were incredibly similar in that way. They made a decision, they stuck to it, and they rode it out, consequences be damned. Severus had many regrets now that he was older and wiser, particularly when it came to Potter, but Potter had only ever shown him regret once when they had fought back in February.
But Potter had to hear this. He needed to understand that there were consequences for his actions, even if Potter himself was rarely the one to serve them.
"I need you to understand first that I am not angry," Severus said. God forbid the child believe he was angry with him, there was no telling how he would react.
Well, that wasn't quite true. Severus was sure he would offer something appalling to 'even the score'. Potter matched anger with anger when faced with someone he dislikes, and matches anger with offers when it is someone he is fond of.
"I am not angry, but I am disappointed," Severus continued, lightly placing one of his hands on the back of Potter's head. Potter's back visibly tensed for a moment before he released a shaky breath and relaxed once more. "You once again disregarded my instructions, charged ahead with your own convictions, and as a result I had to cover for you with the Ministry. As did Black and Amelia, which put Amelia in a terrible position with her career. You risked your life, Mister Weasley's life, and all of ours when you decided to stay instead of leaving as I asked you to."
Potter remained silent, aside from the slightest of hitches in his breathing.
"I wanted to fight," Potter said plaintively.
"I know." Severus adjusted his position on the bed so that he could lean against the headboard and shifted Potter's head to his shoulder. He tried to consider a view that Potter may understand apart from 'this was wrong because I said so'. "But you did not help our side of the fight. Instead you made me weak and vulnerable. I had to focus on protecting you rather than fighting."
"Why?"
"Why did you take off after Avery in to the woods?" Severus asked instead.
Potter lifted his head up and stared at Severus incredulously.
"He had Fred! He would have killed him! Or hurt him real badly!"
Severus slowly reached out for Potter and guided his head back to his shoulder.
"So you needed to protect him because you did not wish for him to be injured? Even though it made you weaker and more open to attack when you left the safety of the shield Amelia had conjured?"
"Yeah...?"
Potter was not dim. The child had intuition so sharp it could cut a person open. The problem was that Potter could not see the parallels in the situation because it is unthinkable to him that anyone would make themselves weak, a state Potter despised more than anything, on his behalf.
"And that is why I had to focus on protecting you rather than fighting when you refused to leave," Severus said gently, but firmly. "I would rather myself be unsafe than risk you becoming injured or killed. Just as you would have rather been unsafe than risk Weasley's injury."
Potter said nothing for a long moment and Severus tilted his own head back against the headboard. Either Potter would understand or he wouldn't. Severus could hardly summon a quill and draw a picture for the child.
"Why'd you tell them you did it?" Potter eventually asked quietly.
"You would have gone to Azkaban," Severus said simply. "I could not allow that to happen."
"I didn't want you to get in trouble, I didn't mean for it to happen, I swear."
"I believe you that it was not your intent, but it is what happened as a result of thinking yourself to be above the law," Severus told him. "There were many other ways you could have disabled Avery without resorting to an Unforgiveable."
"He tried to kill you!" Potter said, his voice hoarse and heated. "He almost did! I was almost too late!"
Severus had been quite sure that Avery's close curse to himself had been the trigger it took for Potter to land his own curse, but it was still heartening to hear. There were very few people who would be willing to commit murder on Severus' behalf.
Actually, there was very likely only one person.
"He did," Severus agreed. "And now tell me what happened as a result of your choice to kill him."
This was yet another time that Severus regret teaching Potter occulmency. Though he could practically hear Potter's mind whirling, he would give many things to hear his actual thoughts.
"Er... you went to jail?" Potter eventually said hesitantly. "Cause of what I did?"
"And?"
"And... and you said you're not mad at me? But maybe you are?"
"I am not," Severus assured him. "Though there were further consequences for your choice."
"I dunno then," Potter said. Which was unsurprising. Potter was fiercely loyal and protective of those he considers to be 'his', but the child was also self-centered. A trait Severus did not begrudge him, as a certain amount of this was incredibly conducive to surviving all that Potter has survived, though it hindered him from seeing any consequences outside of the ones that directly impact himself.
"Due solely to your choice to kill Avery, I was arrested. Then Amelia risked her job by lying to her coworkers when she collaborated my story denying your presence in the woods. Black also risked his newfound freedom to defend me to the ministry-" which was still rather surprising. "And it all could have been avoided if you had listened to any one of my requests prior to that."
"What do I do to fix it?" Potter asked. "I- I didn't know all that was gonna happen. How do I fix it?"
"You cannot change what has already happened," Severus told him. "You can fix this by learning from it. And what I want you to have learned from this is to use your highly intelligent mind in the future and consider every possible outcome of your decision before you make it. Think to yourself, what is the worst case scenario if I do this? And then decide if it is worth the risk."
He could hardly control the child, he doubted if there was an entity in the universe that could, but he hoped that Theodore had been correct when he once said that Severus' words meant something more important to Potter.
After a long moment Potter lifted his head off Severus' shoulder and grinned at him weakly.
"Highly intelligent, huh? Thought I was an idiot."
Severus scoffed and closed his eyes.
"You have proven that a singular person can be both things, congratulations."
"Are you tired?" Potter asked him, carefully placing his head back on Severus' shoulder, his own shoulders tightening, as if Severus would shove him away.
"I am," Severus told him truthfully.
"D'you want me to leave?"
Severus grabbed the edge of the quilt on his bed and tossed it over both of their legs.
"No."
When Severus woke up several hours later it was to a darker window, a sore neck, and a wet shoulder.
Apparently Potter drooled in his sleep.
Which was disgusting.
Severus very gently moved Potter from his shoulder to the pillow and quietly made his way downstairs.
He summoned a pain reliever as he went, thankful for the immediate relief he felt in his aching neck and torso. He was much too old to sleep in such an awkward position, but he hadn't relished the thought of kicking Potter out either.
Though the pain reliever was hardly enough to prevent a migraine from blooming when he walked in his sitting room to see Frederick Weasley perched on the edge of his sofa, Black patting his shoulder kindly.
"Leave," Severus said shortly, looking at Frederick but not caring if Black believed he was speaking to him. "I have no idea what you want, and I do not care."
The idiot was not going to blame Severus' ward for being injured and hurt him by ending their peculiar relationship, then be consoled in their own home by Potter's own traitorous godfather.
"Is Harry asleep?" the stupid boy asked. "I wanted to talk to him."
"He is. Leave."
"What's your problem?" Black asked, his forehead furrowed with puzzlement.
"Did you know that he-" Severus gestured at the red-headed menace on his sofa, "-ended his relationship with your godson last night?"
Black must not have, because he slowly pulled his arm away from Frederick and gave him what was likely meant to be a disappointed look.
"You really thought last night was a good time to breakup with him?" Black asked.
"I bloody well didnt!" Frederick cried. "We had a bit of a fight, that's it!" He looked up at Severus, who could admit that the boy looked upset, though not as upset as Potter was. "Did Harry tell you we broke up?"
"He did," Severus said.
Trust Potter to not understand the difference between a disagreement and a breakup.
"You can handle this," he told Black as he turned to enter the kitchen.
He certainly was not going to involve himself in the relationship woes of his students, no matter how curious he was what Potter had fought with Frederick about. Black had maintained a relationship for seventeen years, even with being incarcerated for twelve of them. He could handle this particular aspect of raising Potter.
Severus' decision to remain uninvolved was thrown entirely out the window when Black and Frederick both entered the kitchen not ten minutes later while Severus was attempting to enjoy a quiet lunch. He had been about to pick up the paper when they both walked right in, sporting similar sheepish looks.
Honestly. Perhaps he should have acquired his own home when he gave this one to Potter. Somewhere peaceful, quiet, private...
"I think you're gonna want to handle this," Black said, shifting from foot to foot like a nervous first year in detention. "I'm just gonna go... make sure Moony's okay..." He clapped Frederick on the shoulder and gently pushed him towards a chair. "Good luck mates."
"We are not mates," Severus snarled. Black just chuckled and walked out, the floo activating not moments later.
Potter's penchant for chaos was truly ruining Severus' life. Never in his worst nightmares would he imagine a hell where he was referred to as one of Sirius Black's 'mates'. Suffering through meals with one of the Weasley Twins in his home would be a runner up for nightmares though if he had ever carried enough imagination to picture such a thing.
He glanced over at Frederick, who truly had the slumped look of a young man suffering from his first heartbreak, and rolled his eyes.
"I will give you precisely five minutes of my incredibly valuable time before I go inform Potter that he should find a more worthwhile candidate for his affections," he said coolly. Even if Frederick had not ended their relationship, he had certainly chosen a poor time to pick a fight with Potter.
"Harry thought I was mad at him because I got stunned last night, but I wasn't. And then he was just sitting there thinking I was gonna hit him! Which I wasn't! And then-"
"Shut up." Severus sighed heavily after silencing Frederick's rushed explanation. He had spent so much time around Potter, Theodore, and their friends who were all either Slytherin or 'might as well be' that he had forgotten how literal Gryffindor's tend to take things. "I will allow you longer than five minutes if you breathe and speak like a human being with a modicum of intellect."
Frederick took a deep, and noisy, breath before starting over more slowly.
"Harry came back last night and he thought I was mad at him because I got stunned. And I told him I wasn't. But then he told me that I needed to 'get even' and acted like he thought I was gonna hit him. So I said I wasn't gonna hit him, Merlin why would I? And then he offered-" Frederick broke off and mumbled something down in to his lap, his ears turning a hideous shade of bright red.
Which was fine. Severus had no need for Frederick to inform him what Potter had offered him in exchange for 'evening the score'. He was quite sure it would have been vulgar.
"And you said?" Severus asked, his brow raised and his hand on his wand. If Frederick had accepted Potter's offer then he would ensure the boy was never able to accept a similar offer in the future again.
Frederick's face snapped up and he looked truly appalled.
"I told him no! I said we weren't gonna have sex because he felt bad!"
Severus loosened his grip on his wand slightly at that. Though he did not entirely let go of it, he would gladly take an opportunity to hex the irritating child across from him if he was given one.
"And Harry was upset by your rejection?"
"Yeah," Frederick was clearly uncomfortable as he was twisting the edge of his jumper in his hands. "I didn't even know he could get so upset. And then he told me 'life's not all magic and family, this is the real world', and then he stormed out. No, wait," Frederick looked pensive for a moment. "I said 'that's barmy' and he said 'I don't have to sit here and be insulted' then he stormed out."
Potter returned from the forest and learned that Frederick had been injured. He believed Frederick would be angry and blame him for his injuries so he offered himself as a way to settle an imagined score. Frederick rejected him, Potter became upset then misinterpreted his remark and stormed away.
Which, was absolutely par for the course when it came to Potter's understandings of relationships.
"Jesus Christ," Severus muttered as he ran a weary hand over his face. "Why are you here?" he asked, a distinct lack of bite to his tone.
"I wanted to talk to him, figure out what went wrong so we can fix it," Frederick said earnestly. "I thought maybe he'd had enough time to cool down and we could talk about it. I didn't know he thought I broke up with him. I would never, I think I lov-"
"Shut up," Severus said again. Whatever Frederick thinks he feels for Potter is something he should tell Potter, not him. Severus considered the situation very carefully as he kneaded his forehead.
On the one hand, he was no fan of the cocky self-proclaimed 'prankster' sitting across from him. On the other hand, he cared a great deal for Potter and his happiness. Which meant that despite how very little he wanted to, he knew what he needed to do.
"Go home," he said curtly. "I will speak with Harry this evening. You may come back tomorrow."
Frederick gave him an insulting look of surprise.
"You'd do that for me?" he asked.
"I would not, I would do that for Harry," Severus said simply. And he would hardly do it for Potter if it had been a normal fight. But it was not, and so Severus would intervene.
Plus very, very, very begrudgingly he could admit that Potter seemed fond of Weasley. And he could see how Weasley's optimism and cheer could be a draw for Potter's own cynicism and gloom. Hadn't Severus felt a draw towards Lily for the same reasons?
"I'm gonna talk to George, but I think if you'd do this we can promise you a prank free classroom until at least Christmas," Frederick grinned.
"If I find my classroom to contain a single 'prank' then I will set a curse that will broil your skin any time you come too close to Harry," Severus countered with.
Frederick looked nearly impressed.
"You can do that?"
"Easily," Severus smirked. And he could. He had already considered it the first time Frederick appeared at his breakfast table.
"Amazing," Frederick breathed. "I'm telling you, Harry's got all the luck when it comes to guardians. I bet you know all sorts of cool curses."
"Many of which I will demonstrate if you do not leave my sight immediately," Severus took a calm sip of his tea.
Frederick jumped to his feet with another large smile, as if he hadn't just been threatened. Perhaps William was correct. Severus must be going soft.
He would need to rectify that.
"I'll see you tomorrow then," Frederick said with a sloppy salute before sticking his hands in his pockets and strolling towards the sitting room.
Severus scowled. There were entirely too many people becoming too comfortable in his home for his taste.
God damned Potter.
Quiet reigning through the house once again he finally picked up his paper, and immediately sputtered at the top headline.
HERO SEVERUS SNAPE DEFENDS MUGGLES DURING CHAOS AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP!
He read the article carefully, ensuring there was no mention of Potter's involvement in the fight. Which there was not. What was discussed was Severus' apparently quite numerous life achievements. Skeeter had started with his 'irreplaceable war efforts as a spy', his achievement as the youngest ever Potions Master, and his additional accomplishment of becoming the youngest ever staff member to be appointed at Hogwarts. And, of course, an entire paragraph discussing his rescue of Potter 'from the loneliness of living with a family who never cared for him'. Martial Avery's death was a mere footnote buried at the bottom of the article.
Merlin. His carefully cultivated reputation was gone.
God damned Harry Potter.
He was still reading the article when Theodore appeared and settled himself in what was now becoming his accustomed seat at the table.
"Reading about what a hero you are sir?"
"I believe the words were 'bravest Slytherin to walk Hogwarts halls'," Severus scoffed, quoting a direct line from the article.
"Harry won't like that, I think he was hoping for that title," Theodore said, his brown eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Harry will have to settle for being the most reckless Slytherin in history. And speaking of which," Severus put the paper away and fixed Theodore with a pointed look. "I believe you and I also need to have a conversation about yesterday."
Theodore tapped his armrest a few times, which reminded Severus of the way that Potter rubs different materials when he is feeling nervous.
Which was quite the reminder that Theodore needed to be treated as lightly as Potter did on occasion. Especially when being reprimanded by an adult male in a position of authority over him.
"Theodore," he said, gentling his tone slightly. "I am not angry, as I have already told Harry. But I am disappointed. Where was your sense of self-preservation when I told you all to evacuate immediately?"
"Harry didn't," Theodore said calmly, his brown eyes wary, but steady as they met Severus'. "Did you expect me to leave him there?"
No.
"If you had been killed?" Severus asked instead, knowing he would get no where with that particular line. "It was not duels with your classmates, those were grown Wixen aiming to kill last night."
"Then I would have died," Theodore said, his voice even and sure. "I would have rather of been killed than leave Harry."
Which, as admirable as the sentiment was, it was also quite shocking. Severus knew Potter easily inspired respect, loyalty, and friendship. He had no idea the depths of those bonds. It was as if Potter had his own private army prepared to wage war and risk death on his behalf at only his word.
Severus very carefully ignored the reminder of another Slytherin who carried the same power.
"Why did you leave then?" he asked. "If you were so prepared to die in order to become involved in a fight you had no place in, why leave?"
"Harry told me to," Theodore said. "He told me to keep Susan from finding a way to come back."
"And you always do what Harry commands of you?" Severus asked, his dry tone masking his curiosity. Potter's gangs dynamics truly were fascinating.
"When there's a fight going on? Yes," Theodore said with a light shrug. "Harry's in charge of the gang and he gave me an order."
For the love of God. It was not 'as if' Potter had his own private army, he did. Potter had no idea the weight his word carried within his gang of misfits.
"In the future, I would much appreciate you considering your own safety when Harry is rushing in to a fight," Severus said, knowing his words were futile, but trying all the same. "It was foolish of you all to remain."
"You did."
Apparently Severus was not as threatening to Theodore as he feared he was.
"I am a grown man who is legally able to defend myself with magic outside of school," Severus said tightly, irritated by his need to defend himself.
"Article 17 of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery says that in a case of a threat against my life so can I." Theodore raised one brow in a silent challenge. "So why did you stay?"
"I hardly need to defend myself against a child," Severus sneered. "Do you have nothing of more importance to do with yourself in this moment?"
Theodore smirked, sensing he had won some sort of battle between them. Which he absolutely did not.
"I'm waiting on Harry to wake up. Susan wants to come yell at him together when he does."
"Excellent," Severus groaned.
Give Potter a house, what's the worst that could happen?
Severus did some quick calculations and was fairly confident that if he survived the next two summer holidays after this one, he could reasonably move out to somewhere private. Warded against visitors. No God damned floo access.
Two more summers after this one... if you survive that long.
"I will be in my office, feel free to not disturb me," Severus said.
"Answering your incoming fan mail?" Theodore called cheekily as Severus made his way to his office.
Severus' only response was a hard slam of his door.
He truly hated teenagers.
Severus did work on his stacked correspondences, though 'fan mail' was thankfully not a part of it.
He had a research update from Ramsey, with an invitation for Severus to test the newest charm he had developed for the basilisk venom. There was also a letter from the Contessa Zabini, with the precise formula for Potter's medication that he requested she acquire for him.
Severus' hope was that he could temporarily shift his research from the cure for cancer to creating a Wixen alternative that would act the same as Potter's medication. The child was too prone to injuries to be unable to consume potions. He read over the ingredient list and calculations and was relieved to see that aside from two things, he had perfectly acceptable alternatives that could be safely combined in a medicinal potion. Only the ingredients that contained the element lithium would need to be swapped with an alternative...
Or... or altered to fit instead.
Severus summoned a book from his shelf and promptly buried himself in the art of elemental transfiguration of base atoms. Which is where he spent nearly two hours before the shouting from his sitting room permeated through his office.
"I DON'T CARE! I SAID I WANTED TO STAY AND FIGHT! YOU HAD NO RIGHT!"
Aah. Miss Bones had arrived.
Severus smiled slightly as the mad little witch voiced her complaints. It was ironic really, Potter sent Bones away for her protection yet refused to acknowledge why Severus had attempted the same for him. Potter truly had no sense of what he meant to people. Though, Miss Bones was certainly doing her best to get it through his head.
"IF I WANTED TO DIE THEN THAT'S MY CHOICE!"
"Marialos," Severus murmured, wanting to hear Potter's responses.
"-lose you too!"
Severus shook his head. It was a thoughtful sentiment, but Bones would hardly go for such a thought.
"What so we can't handle ourselves?"
Severus almost felt bad. It sounded as if Potter was being ganged up on by Bones and Theodore both now.
"Take my knife from me and tell me you can handle yourself."
Severus could nearly imagine the disdain on Potter's face as he said that.
"Or I could hex you and show you how much I can handle myself," Bones said in what would almost be a sweet tone if the challenge was not clear.
"So what? What we- we aren't friends now? Just cause I didn't want you to get hurt?"
Severus doubted if Potter could accomplish ridding himself of Bones that easily.
"Of course not," Bones said, softer now. "You're my best friend stupid, and I love you. But you can't keep sending me away and calling it 'for my own good'. It's not fair Harry."
It was also quite hypocritical of the child.
"We just want to fight by your side," Theodore added. "Not be sent away to safety without you."
"And if you die?" Potter demanded. "If you die because of me?"
"Then we die," Bones said simply. "And it won't be your fault because it will be our decision."Acting and dueling lessons this year... Severus decided quickly.
"That's mad."
"IT IS NOT FUCKING MAD IT IS OUR CHOICE HARRY JAMES!" Bones yelled again. "AND IF YOU DO IT AGAIN THEN I'M GOING TO DESTROY YOUR KNIVES!"
Severus bit his tongue to hold down the chuckle he nearly let out at such an absurd threat.
"The sword's goblin made, I don't think you can destroy it."
"Do you think Hermione can't find a way?" Theodore asked.
Severus listened as silence fell between the three students before Potter finally responded.
"Fine," he huffed. "But if you get hurt you better swear not to blame me. Cause I'm not gonna owe you because you want to be stupid."
"Harry we're friends, you wouldn't owe us anything," Bones said in the kind of gentle tone Severus himself could never pull off.
"Yeah?" Potter asked hesitantly.
"Isn't that one of the rules for the gang? You don't owe us things?" Theodore asked.
"It is," Bones said pompously. "So if we get hurt you won't owe us anything except revenge against whoever hurt us."
"Brill, deal," Potter sounded eager. Severus shuddered to imagine the retaliation Potter would extract against the fool who injured one of those Potter considered his.
"Buuuuut, you do owe me for last night," Bones said, a teasing lilt to her voice now. "And I wanna know why you and Fred were fighting."
Though it was hardly needed, Severus leaned forward in his desk to hear Potter's response more clearly.
"Broke up, didn't we?" he responded shortly. "So that's that."
"What?!"
"Why would you break up with him?!"
Severus was relieved to hear he was not the only one who assumed Potter would have been the one to end the relationship.
"'M not talking about this," Potter said. "You guys wanna go see Lue with me? I wanna make sure she isn't upset about last night."
Severus ended the charm as they were discussing whether or not to pick up Granger before going to the Lovegood's.
"Hey, we're leaving," Potter knocked on his door only minutes later.
"Be safe brat," Severus called back, infusing as much warmth in his tone as he could. Their odd ritual must be important to Potter if he had mentioned it to Theodore the beginning of the summer.
And then finally, finally, Severus' home was quiet and peaceful.
Severus waited until after supper that evening to fulfill his promise to Frederick.
"Harry could I speak with you?"
Potter looked up from the card game he was playing with Theodore with surprised eyes before he blinked and his face became impassive.
"'Kay."
"Perhaps in private?"
Potter glanced at Theodore, who was just as gracelessly sprawled on the floor as Potter, and shrugged.
"'Kay," he repeated, getting to his feet. "Your office?"
Severus nodded and led the way to his office. He waited until Potter was settled in the seat across from his desk before he cleared his throat.
"I would like for you to tell me what exactly transpired between you and your Weasley," he said evenly.
"I'd rather not," Potter scowled.
"I would of course offer you any one question in return," Severus offered.
"I know everything about you though," Potter pointed out, quite truthfully.
Severus tried to quickly think of a story or memory he could elaborate on for Potter's amusement to get the conversation rolling.
"Have I ever told you of the time your mother was cited for underaged use of magic the summer after our fourth year?"
Potter's impassive mask was gone in an instant. He blinked and appeared much more the age appropriate eager child prepared to hear a tale of his parent's misdeed.
"No," he grinned slightly. "Is that what you're offering?"
"It is," Severus smirked.
"Welllll, Fred said I was barmy and ended things," Potter said. "What'd she do?"
"Magic," Severus deadpanned.
"Hey," Potter scowled. "That's not on. Are you not gonna tell me any of the details?"
Severus inspected his nails and lifted his shoulder casually.
"Are you not?"
"Fine." Potter crossed his arms defensively across his chest. "I tried to make it up to him that he got hurt and he didn't want us to be even and I'm not gonna owe him later. So I said that he didn't have any idea how the real world worked and he said I was being barmy and then I left and we broke up."
"Frederick was injured, and you believed yourself to be at fault, and so you then offered him something to even you out, which he refused. He then said your ideas on reality were 'barmy' and then told you he no longer wished to be in a relationship with you?" Severus summarized.
"Well, he didn't say he didn't wanna be together anymore. It was just sorta implied, ya know?"
"I see. And before that, what did you offer him in exchange for the concussion he suffered through his own actions?"
Potter fidgeted just slightly, the only sign of his discomfort at the subject.
"I don't remember," he lied airily. "Suppose I told him whatever he wanted to make us even."
"You did not offer to let him strike you?" Severus asked, allowing Potter to break their eye contact as he flushed and looked off towards the bookcases.
"Might have," he admitted with a shrug. "I figured if he got hurt because of me then he could hurt me, just once, and we'd be even."
"Though I can see how you arrived at the conclusion, your thoughts process is illogical," Severus said lightly. "You were not directly responsible for Frederick's injuries and thus owed him nothing. Also-" Severus slowly held up a single finger when Potter opened his mouth the interrupt. "You should never be in a relationship with a person who accepts any offers to strike you, no matter how stubbornly you may have offered it."
"I-" Potter shifted in his seat before releasing a gust of breath and moving his eyes up to the ceiling. "I told him we could... you know... instead but he didn't want that either. He didn't want me," he tacked on in a quiet tone.
There it was. Potter believed Frederick refusing to have some sort of revenge sex with him was indicative of Frederick's level of desire towards him. Which was terribly pitiable, but not unexpected given Potter's overall level of self-confidence.
"Which was for the best, because I would have ended his life had he accepted your offer," Severus said truthfully. "Harry, you never need to offer your own body in any way to rectify a mistake to someone."
Potter clenched his jaw and rolled his shoulders.
"I didn't have anything else to offer, did I?" he said, sounding as if he were grinding his teeth. "So... so I said we could do that and he said no. Then he called me barmy."
"He called you barmy or said that the idea of intercourse as a trade for his injury was barmy?"
"What's the difference?" Potter shrugged.
"The difference is that you yourself are not disturbing to Frederick, but the idea that he would want to have intercourse with you as a way to get even was disturbing to him."
"Exactly!" Potter smacked Severus' desk and glared at him. "So he thinks sex with me is disturbing!"
Jesus Christ, why had he not forced Black to handle this?
Because he would have made a mess of it.
Not that you're doing much better.
"Harry, I am quite confident that Frederick is (Dear God) sexually attracted to you. But he does not want to explore that particular attraction unless you are consenting and willing. The idea that he would have intercourse with you just because you felt you owed it to him was disturbing to him."
"Why?"
"Because people should never participate in any sexual encounter if they are not fully consenting. Ever."
"I was consenting, I offered didn't I?" Potter stuck his chin out stubbornly.
"You offered because you mistakenly believed you owed him something, not because you actually wanted to have intercourse with him," Severus pointed out. "That is not true consent."
"What is then?!" Potter sounded slightly frantic. Which was to be expected. If Potter believed he had consented to all previous sexual encounters he had, then he was not a victim.
And if Severus could raise the dead, he would merrily skip to Godric's Hallow and happily raise James Potter from his grave to have this conversation with his son. He would track down Pettigrew himself and reunite the Merlin damned 'Marauders' if it meant that he was not the one having to do this.
"True consent is when you wish to participate in any level of sexual activity due to absolutely nothing more than mutual desire," Severus explained gently. "If there is any other reason at all that you are engaging in the act, then it is not consent."
Potter sat back in his chair and stared down in his lap, his brows were furrowed and he was tapping his foot irritably.
"So... so... if I offered to... you know... and it wasn't because I wanted us to be even, you reckon Fred would've said yeah?"
"Harry, Frederick is a teenage boy. If the Giant Squid made him a true consenting offer I believe he would have said yes," Severus said drily, hoping to draw a grin from Potter.
Which he did, even if it was rather faint.
"Don't suppose the Giant Squid's as charming as I am though, is it?" Potter asked.
"The Giant Squid's charms are so elevated you could hardly hope to ever compete," Severus stuck his nose up pretentiously. Potter laughed lightly and relaxed back in his chair.
"How do I make things even with Fred then?" he asked, leagues more relaxed now.
"Relationships are a partnership. There is no need to keep a scorecard with your partner." Severus was suddenly struck with the perfect analogy. "Do you recall when we incapacitated the Death Eater with the clay knives last night? You transformed the rocks, I had the wind blow them in to his legs, then you wrapped him in rope before I stunned him and moved him to the side?"
"Yeah," Potter's eyes sparkled with what Severus could only describe as joy. Trust Potter to look so joyous at such a violent memory. "That was brill, wasn't it?"
"I would hardly call it 'brill', but it was an excellent example of being partners," Severus stressed. "You cast two spells while I cast three, but we were not uneven in accomplishing our goal together, were we?"
"No," Potter waved his hand. "We were a team, even though you said we weren't."
"But that is exactly it," Severus leaned forward in his chair, hoping to drive the point home in Potter's mind. "We did not keep score because we were partners in that moment. When you are part of a team there is no need to keep score."
Potter blinked owlishly at him for a moment, processing his words.
"So... you're saying that I don't have to owe Fred anything, and he doesn't owe me anything, because we were a team?"
It was an extremely simplistic view of a relationship, but sufficient for the moment.
"Precisely."
"But he broke up with me," Potter said. "So I guess this doesn't really matter much now, does it?"
"This conversation is not exclusive to only Frederick," Severus told him. "It counts for any partner you may have in your lifetime. But- I do not believe Frederick wished for your relationship to end. There will be disagreements, knowing you there will be many disagreements, but unless someone explicitly says they wish to end the relationship then you should not just assume it."
Potter squinted at him, as if trying to puzzle together a particularly difficult equation.
"I don't get it," he said slowly, his brows drawn down in a show of confusion, but a hopeful lilt in his voice. "What, you- you think Fred still wants to be with me?"
"I am certain of it," Severus said.
"Brill," Potter grinned rather shyly. Which was quite endearing on the turbulent child. "Is it my turn now? Gonna tell me what my mum did?"
Severus leaned back in his chair and smirked at him.
"Let me tell you the story of the time your mother decided that Petunia was irritating enough to warrant an everlasting acne jinx..."
Severus may fail in many ways as a guardian, but when Potter stopped by his office the next afternoon to inform him he was going to Diagon Alley, hand in hand with Frederick Weasley, with a shy grin on his face- Severus thought perhaps he was not doing as badly as he thought he was.
The remainder of their summer passed by peacefully enough. Theodore and Potter resumed their incredibly irksome game of bringing their partners to breakfast with cheeky smiles and taunting innuendos. Severus buried himself in his research and planning for the upcoming school year. Potter wore his Quidditch Captain's badge on his jumper until Granger called him a pretentious twit. Lupin informed him that he had finally come across the term Manic-Depressive Illness in one of his classes and believed Potter met the diagnostic criteria. All in all, there were much worse ways to spend the last month of the holidays.
Which is why Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore ruined it when he called for a Hogwarts staff meeting a week before term to announce the return of the Triwizard Tournament.