But lunchtime meant Harry could see his father again, so he picked up the play equipment lickety split, and bounced on the balls of his feet in anticipation.
"Come on, dears," Mrs. Weasley said when everything was back in her bag and she had shrunk it again to put in her pocket. "Let's back to the castle. I believe we are dining in Professor Snape's quarters today."
"Aww, but we—"
"—wanted to eat with Charlie, Mum, and—"
"—maybe take a poke at Percy!"
Mrs. Weasley shook her head fondly at the twins as they headed up the hill. "Another time, boys. Let's go."
Racing ahead so fast – with Treacle hard on his heels – Harry hardly heard her.
TBC . . .
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A/N: Argh! They are actually making me work at my day job. I cannot believe it! I beg your forgiveness, and hope it shall not be too much longer before I can get back into the regular swing of things, such as writing to my heart's content. In the meantime, thank you to everyone, for all the enthusiastic reviews and encouragement on this story!
There'll be more Twins and pranks and Harry learning to get along, with the Weasleys and without his Dad, in the next chapter.
*Chapter 10*: Chapter 10
Whelp II -- The Wrath of Snape
By jharad17
Chapter Ten
Disclaimer: None of this is mine. Honest. She's rich, blond and British. I'm not.
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The commotion from Severus' sitting room carried down the hall to his study, making him close his book sharply. The hallway was short, but seemed longer than necessary just then, and he had his wand out before he rounded the last corner. When he saw one tousled, black head looking adrift amongst a sea of red, he put the wand away just as quickly.
"Harry," he said, catching the boy's eye. He was unprepared to have the boy fling himself into his arms, but he caught Harry nevertheless and held him close. "What's wrong?" he murmured into the boy's hair. "Are you all right?"
"I din't know where you were," Harry blurted. "You said we'd see you, and I din't see you, and . . ."
"Hush, little one. I'm right here." Harry's tumble of words clutched at his heart. How could the boy have missed him so much over just one morning? Not that he had not missed his son, but he expected Harry to be having fun with his new friends.
"Sorry, Father." His words were soft, hard to hear unless he strained. "Sorry."
"You've nothing to be sorry for," Severus told him. "I'm right here. Let's have some lunch, all right? The Weasleys are waiting."
Harry nodded against his chest, where his fists were curled into Severus' robes. "Okay." He peeked out shyly and gave Molly a soft smile, but did not look her in the eyes. "Sorry, Mrs. Weasley."
Molly's gaze rested on Severus, even as she said, "That's quite all right, dear. We're right as rain." To her children she said, "Washing up time. Ronnie and Ginny, you first." She grasped one ear each of her twins as they attempted to move past her, and held them fast. "I don't know what you two have planned -- you seem more than two steps ahead of me half the time -- but I won't have any pranks in Professor Snape's quarters, is that understood?"
"Yes, Mum," they both said.
"We'd never dream--"
"--of doing anything in here, Mum."
"No worries, honestly. What--"
"--do you take us for?"
"A couple of troublemakers, that's what," she responded, and then gave Severus a wry smile.
He scowled, having not until just that moment realized he had actually let a swarm of Weasleys into his place of peace and respite. He gave one of his best intimidating looks to the two boys, and watched with satisfaction as they gulped simultaneously. If there were pranks . . . well. He had learned quite a lot from his days of going up against the Marauders.
When he stood back up from his crouch, Harry still clung to him, and so he swung the boy up with him, and rested him on one hip. Harry wound his arms around Severus' neck, though not tightly, and rested his head on his father's shoulder. Severus had not expected Harry to be so . . . clingy, and yet, he was loath to let the boy go, either. He patted Harry's back as they made their way to the kitchen, to wash up in there, and talk for a minute in semi-private.
At the sink, Severus settled Harry on the counter just to the right of it, and ran the water till it was warm. "Did you have fun this morning?" he asked in a low voice.
Harry nodded, studying his hands and picking at a small callous on his thumb.
"Harry, please look at me when we're speaking."
Harry did, but his teeth took hold of his lower lip, and he looked very nervous for someone who had enjoyed himself. "Sorry, Father."
"It's all right. Did anything happen today to make you . . . uncomfortable?" He tried not to use the word 'scared' when referring to Harry's emotions, as the boy clammed up almost immediately whenever he did. It was another legacy of those damned Muggles, the belief that he was not allowed the same range of emotions as everyone else. Severus did not want Harry to be frightened of anything, but neither did he want the boy to think he was not allowed to be if it was warranted.
"No, si— no, Father . . . not really."
Severus lifted one eyebrow and gazed at Harry calmly. "'Not really' sounds almost like a yes. Would you care to explain?"
"Well . . ." A look of embarrassment crossed Harry's face, and then he shrugged.
"You can tell me," Severus said quietly. "I won't be angry."
"Not even at George?" Once the words were out, Harry's eyes widened in obvious fear, and he clapped a hand over his mouth.
Severus took a slow breath and reminded himself that Harry was uninjured, and so he had no reason to string the twin up by the thumbs. "Not even at George," he managed to say. "What did he do?"
The lower lip went between the teeth again, and Severus used thumb and index finger to gently pull it out before Harry could bite hard enough to draw blood. Harry closed his eyes briefly and nearly leaned into his hand before he whispered, "Jus . . . Just, he snuck up on me'n grabbed me. I was . . . I mean, I din't expect it, but he said he was sorry."
Severus nodded, and smoothed the boy's hair away from his face. This time, Harry did lean into the touch. "And I'm sure he was. Do you wish for me to speak with him?"
Harry's eyes snapped open and he pulled away. "No, sir, I mean, no, Father. Ron yelled at him already. And Mrs. Weasley said he din't mean to scare me, but I wasn't scared."
"Of course you weren't," Severus said soothingly, and touched Harry's hand now, patting it slowly so as not to spook him. Even if Molly hadn't told him, he would have known how starved for affection the boy was, and any touch that wasn't designed to hurt. Severus was not comfortable, himself, with the touch of others, but he knew Harry needed such reassurance, and so made allowances for the sake of his son. "But, you know, it's all right if something startles you badly, to be frightened by it. Everyone gets frightened sometimes."
"Not you," Harry whispered. His eyes were wide as he looked up into Severus' face, the green so dark it was almost black.
"Even me," Severus said.
"Really?"
"Yes, really." He certainly would not go into details about most of the things that frightened him, but he would say one thing. "I am frightened whenever you are in danger, Harry," he admitted. "Afraid of losing you, who are the best thing in my life. I was very frightened, for instance, when you were hurt by the giant squid."
"You were?" Harry's voice was very small, and his eyes were wider, if it was at all possible.
"I was."
"M'sorry, Father."
"No, Harry, please don't. I didn't say that to make you feel guilty, just so you would know that I do worry. That I, too, feel fear." He quirked his lips a little. "Every time you leave these rooms and I am not with you, I worry. But that's part of being a father, so I'm told. I wouldn't have it any other way."