Fic: An Accident in Time (Harry/Snape)
Day Twenty-Five
It was Sunday, and Harry invited Ron and Hermione over to his place for a late lunch and an afternoon of conversation. He hadn't seen Hermione since the evening he had told his friends about Severus's accident as she'd been busy preparing for a law reading before the Wizengamot. Ron he'd seen more often, but never for long, and Harry missed talking with his friends.
Besides, he needed adult conversation and some normalcy. He needed to be able to completely relax for at least a couple of hours and not worry about … certain things. Like Severus. All those sneaked glances and calculating looks and bright smiles made Harry edgy.
He didn't want to think of inviting his friends over as protection from Severus, but that was what it was. If he spent one more quiet evening alone with the boy, he might do something … stupid. And wrong. Very wrong. No matter how much Harry's body enjoyed those fantasies filled with images of hot, sexy, naked Severus.
No matter how much some parts of him - mostly certain southern parts - insisted that Severus would welcome Harry. It was just his southern parts thinking, and Harry didn't trust them.
To Harry's surprise, the day had turned out even more enjoyable than he'd hoped. To his even greater surprise, most of that unexpected enjoyment was due to Severus. And it hadn't been due to the boy's absence either.
Harry had thought Severus would be bored with only adults visiting, perhaps not even sit and eat lunch with them, or be silent and resentful. Instead, he and Hermione animatedly discussed some obscure laws and principles of potions brewing over lunch. There weren't any sneering or insulting or contemptuous glances, even though Harry was aware that Severus had at least two memory flashes. But Severus didn't sneer, and Harry relaxed into his argument with Ron over Wheezes and the weekend's Quidditch matches.
After lunch, Severus challenged Ron to a match of wizard chess. Ron was surprised, but pleased to play someone who wasn't Harry or Hermione. He was even more pleased - though he cursed enough to make someone less familiar with him think the opposite - when Severus gave Ron a run for his money.
'I never knew you're such a good chess player!' he exclaimed after Severus had chased him mercilessly around the board.
Severus gave him a smug smile. 'I've had a lot of practice. There isn't much I can do around here, since I'm not allowed to use magic.' He gave Harry a speaking glance, which made Ron frown and Hermione nod approvingly. 'So I've been playing a lot since Harry set up the board for me. Those spells for self-playing are really neat.'
Ron blinked. 'Yeah? You think so? I never got a good match out of them. It's always the same, you know, when I play the magic.' He shrugged.
Severus's grin became even smugger, and he shot another look at Harry and Hermione, but he didn't say anything. Harry admired his restraint - and wondered at it. He hadn't thought Severus would miss an opportunity to point out that a Gryffindor's magic was lacking.
Ron strolled over to the fireplace and peered at the small table next to the sofa. 'Say, Harry, you got any biscuits in the house?'
Harry laughed. Hermione pursed her lips. 'Honestly, Ron. You had lunch less than an hour ago. With two helpings of pudding! You can't tell me you're hungry again.'
'Hey, I was working hard over there,' Ron protested with a grin, pointing over to the board. 'Hard work always makes me hungry.'
Severus sniggered into the box of chess pieces he was putting away.
Hermione huffed. 'Ron, you need to eat fewer sugary things. They're not healthy and can adversely affect your magic, you know. I read something just the other day about-'
'No lecture, Hermione, please!' Ron groaned, flopping down on the other end of the sofa, and Harry laughed softly as the two of them began bickering. This was familiar and normal, and just what he needed.
What wasn't normal, though, was Severus suddenly appearing next to him, holding a bowl of biscuits. Ron and Hermione stopped bickering and blinked. Severus grinned and set the bowl down, snagging a handful of biscuits for himself.
'A well-deserved reward after a hard battle, since the maiden seems a bit displeased,' he said, winked, and wandered out of the room.
Ron gaped after him for a second, then pounced on the bowl. 'Really, mate, child Snape's a lot better than the adult version,' he commented, munching happily.
Hermione sighed, loudly, but then smiled. 'Well, we'd better have some tea to go with the biscuits.'
Harry smiled at her. 'Right, I'll go and make some.'
Hermione raised her wand in the direction of the kitchen. 'Oh, no, let me, Harry!' she said brightly. 'I've learnt a new spell from Molly, and I want to try it.'
Harry looked at Ron, who shrugged, and then a tea tray zipped into the room, startling both of them.
'There.' Hermione smiled as she directed the tray towards the table. 'Perfect tea within seconds. Oh. I think I forgot the cream.' She blushed, and before Harry could stop her, she vanished into the kitchen and came back with the creamer.
For a while afterwards, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in front of the crackling fire in the living room, sipping tea and munching biscuits and talking. When Ron snagged the last biscuit, Hermione gave him a reproving look and, turning to Harry, asked, 'What about Severus, Harry? Don't you think he would have liked some tea as well? And perhaps more than a handful of biscuits?'
Harry grinned and shrugged. 'If he'd wanted tea, he would have reappeared. And if he'd wanted more biscuits, he wouldn't have left them anywhere near Ron.'
'Mmmph!' Ron protested, mouth still full.
Hermione gave Ron a disgusted look. 'But, Harry, don't you think he might have liked to stay? I feel as if we've chased him away. Does he know we wouldn't have minded if he stayed?'
'Yeah, mate, he didn't have to vanish,' Ron chimed in. 'I mean, I never thought I'd say it, but he's actually kind of all right, you know.'
'I'm sure he'd be pleased to know that, Ron,' Harry quipped. 'And don't worry, Hermione. Actually, he stayed longer than I thought he would. Because, and don't tell him I said it, but I think he's started reading my novels, and he's got to the point where it's hard to stop reading because you really need to know what happens next. So he's probably pleased that you're here and diverting me. That way, he doesn't have to wait until tomorrow to be able to read without the chance of getting caught.'
Hermione's lips twitched as she was caught between amusement and annoyance. While she approved of reading, she didn't think much of Harry's reading preferences. Ron was gaping again.
'Snape?' he burst out. 'He's reading your crime novels? Wow. Plays chess, feeds me biscuits, and reads trash. You know, if he keeps that up, I might start thinking he's human.' He grinned. 'I like this version better than the old one. Think we can keep him?'
Harry's amusement vanished and he sighed.
'Harry? What's wrong?' Hermione asked immediately. 'Has something happened to Severus? Is he in danger?'
Harry ran a hand through his hair. 'No danger, no. Not any more than he usually is. At least, as far as I know.'
'But?'
'But, the thing is, nothing has happened, Hermione.'
'But that's good, isn't it?' Ron cut in.
'No, not really.' Harry sighed again. 'He hasn't changed at all. I mean re-aged.'
'Don't you think it's great, mate? The version of Snape you've got is way better than the other one.'
'Yes, Ron, but that's not the point.' Harry gesticulated with one hand. 'He's been fifteen for over three, almost four weeks now. Severus's been reading through his journals, you know, stuff Snape wrote down about his condition. And he said that the youth flashes rarely ever lasted longer than a week at most. A week! And it's been almost four now!'
Hermione nodded. 'You're worried he won't age back, aren't you?'
'Yeah. Of course, it's nice that I get along with Severus. That's not the problem. But it's not the real Severus Snape, you know? He's not a fifteen-year-old boy, he's an adult. It's, I don't know, it's not right that he should be … trapped like this.'
'There wasn't anything in Snape's records that would explain the situation? Or point to a way the youth flash might be counteracted?' Hermione asked. 'I looked up those spell categories Snape mentioned in his letter, but I didn't have much time to study them because of the law reading. But if you want me to, I could look into the matter, Harry.'
Harry nodded slowly. There was an odd sensation in his chest, and Harry called himself a fool. He agreed with Ron, more than his friend could imagine. He liked this version of Snape. But of course he couldn't keep him.
'Yeah, perhaps you'd better have a look at it,' he told Hermione. 'If you can spare the time.'
'I'll make the time, Harry,' Hermione promised. 'But are you sure there was nothing in Snape's notes that could help?'
'I don't think so.' Harry shrugged. 'Severus read through all of his journals and he hasn't found anything. At least, he never said so, and I haven't seen him with a journal for quite some time, now. Either he's through and hasn't found anything, or he's discouraged because there wasn't anything in there that could speed up his turning back into his proper age.'
'Did you have a look at those journals?' Hermione had tugged a small notepad and quill out of her robes and was busy making notes. Ron watched her with an amused smile.
Harry looked away. 'Not really, not,' he said. 'And I don't see what use it would be. I don't understand half of what you and Severus talk about, Hermione. How could I find something in the journals if he didn't?'
'Well, perhaps there is something in there that needs advanced knowledge Severus simply doesn't have at his age,' Hermione suggested.
Ron snorted. 'Hermione, if there's advanced knowledge that Snape doesn't have, it's got to be really advanced and obscure, and how likely is it that Harry knows that kind of stuff? No offence, mate.'
'I just said that I know I won't be able to find or understand anything in Snape's journals that Severus doesn't.'
'All right, I don't have any appointments on Wednesday afternoon. I'll have time to do some research then.' Hermione made another note. 'Is that early enough for you, Harry?' She looked up. 'Oh. Hello, Severus. Did you come to get some tea? I know you said in your letter you don't need help with finding a cure, but I hope you won't mind me looking into the matter?'
Turning around at Hermione's greeting, Harry saw Severus standing in the door. He was almost ghostly pale. His eyes were wide and hurt. Harry immediately got up, feeling worried. 'Did something happen?'
Severus took a deep, shaky breath. His hands clenched into fists. 'Are you trying to get rid of me?' he said. He'd probably intended a snarl, but he only managed to sound choked.
Harry stopped and blinked, and then cursed Severus's ability to sneak up on conversations. Apparently he'd overheard more than just a few sentences, and he'd got the wrong impression. Harry ached for the boy's pain.
'Of course not!' he said fiercely. Stepping closer, he grasped Severus's shoulders tightly. 'Of course I don't want to get rid of you! I'm just worried about you.'
'But you want me to become my proper age again,' the boy said accusingly. Harry could feel him trembling under his hands. 'You don't want to take care of me anymore, do you?'
Harry fought the urge to pull Severus into a hug. He tightened his grip on the boy's shoulders, and even that made Severus bristle.
'Yes, I want you to be your proper age again,' he said softly, 'but not because I want to be rid of you. Never that, Severus. But I'm worried, and this isn't right. You aren't fifteen, you're forty-eight. You shouldn't be trapped forever at an age that … that isn't your own and that doesn't allow you to brew potions or do magic. I don't want you to be trapped like this. You've been trapped and … and chained for most of your life in one way or other. You don't deserve to have that done to you again, no matter by whom.'
Severus stared at him. For a short heartbeat, Harry thought he saw Snape in there, thought the boy's wide eyes had become black, bottomless tunnels. But then the impression was gone, and Harry was staring into eyes that were simply wide and dark and hurt. The boy was breathing in rapid, shallow pants. 'But what if … what if I never re-age,' he whispered. Scared.
It felt as though someone had punched him. Harry's hand tightened until his knuckles were white and Severus would probably be bruised. 'I'll keep you anyway.' He shook the boy a little. 'God, Severus. What did you think I'd do? Kick you out?'
Severus bit his lip and blinked rapidly when his eyes became suspiciously bright. He reached up to cling to Harry's hands which were still holding his shoulders. 'Promise?' It was said even more softly.
'Idiot.' Harry swallowed hard. 'I promise.'
Relaxing, Severus let go of Harry's hands. Suddenly feeling awkward, Harry took a step back and cleared his throat.
'Okay. Now. Um. Tea?' he fumbled. He made himself smile brightly. 'There's still some tea left, though Ron's eaten all the biscuits.'
Ron made protesting noises again, but Harry didn't pay him any attention. Severus gave Harry a small smile, and then ducked his head, hiding his face - and his eyes - behind his hair. Harry hesitated for a second. Then, feeling safe with Ron and Hermione there, he wrapped one arm around Severus's shoulders.
'Then let's get you some tea,' he said gently and steered the boy to the fireplace where he conjured a second armchair for Severus to sit in. Ron, perhaps feeling a little guilty, was pouring Severus a cup, and Harry added sugar with a flick of his wand. He sat Severus down and handed him the cup. 'Here you are. Hope it's still hot enough.'
'And if not, Harry's a wizard and can do a heating charm,' Ron said with a grin and a wink.
Harry was so thankful for Ron's easy joking that he teased right back, and the awkward moment was gone. Harry concentrated firmly on being relaxed and casual and on joking with Ron - and firmly ignored the strange, searching look Hermione was giving him.
But of course he couldn't escape her entirely. When she and Ron said good-night, she hugged Harry tightly.
'I'll look into the matter as soon as I find a spare moment,' she said softly, then kissed him on the cheek and followed Ron through the Floo.
Harry sighed and rubbed his scar. He had the feeling that Hermione had seen a lot more than he wanted her, or anyone else, to see.
Day Thirty
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