Serving Penance • Snarry •

Chapter 9

And so, they settled into a rough routine. Severus often brewed in the mornings, and sorted lunch for them both. Meanwhile, Harry regularly tried to fix up the house whilst pleading with Kreacher, and went for morning jogs around Highbury Fields. In the afternoon, Severus might brew some more or correct articles in red ink. Occasionally, he attempted this with a cat on his lap. Harry chopped potions ingredients, brought Snape cups of tea, or went off to the Muggle houses he'd bought to do odd jobs. He was in no rush, but Snape working all the time made him feel lazy. In the evenings, Harry usually cooked, and Kreacher made pudding. After tea they relaxed in the drawing room with a coffee or Butterbeer, Hades asleep on or between them. They'd play chess, or watch films rented from Blockbuster's on the telly Harry fixed.

****

Twelve days until the full moon

Harry sat cross-legged on the floor of the smallest spare bedroom, switching lampshades with his wand. Severus had hung up wallpaper with phoenixes and fwoopers perched in trees. A unicorn snored. This was the room Harry hoped Teddy would stay in.

Hades slunk in, so Harry paused his magic in case he frightened the cat. "Out. Out. Out!" He resolutely ignored Harry and licked his paws.

Severus stopped by the doorway, and gathered Hades up in his arms. "Cats cannot be trained."

Harry leaned against the wall, and grinned. "Nor can Slytherins."

"Cheeky brat. All domestic cats are Slytherins."

"Hm. This particular cat has a very low IQ, so that's quite possible."

"Watch what you're saying, Potter." Severus deposited Hades onto the banister.

"I forget that I'm challenging the Prince of Slytherin himself. It's hard to take you seriously when you dote on him so much." Harry got up to scratch behind Hades's ears. He put his head in his paws, and pretended to doze precariously. "Why did you call him 'Hades'?"

"It befits its personality. It was a tossup between Hades or Andrew, who was a kind neighbour I had growing up." Looking at Harry's feet, he added, "Those socks are absurd."

Harry wiggled his mismatched toes. "They're my prized possession. Knitted by someone who died. What's your most treasured possession?"

"My records."

"Can I see them?

"No."

Harry crossed his arms. "I've shown you mine—you show me yours. Fair is fair."

"Be careful what you wish for." Severus swept back downstairs.

Harry was very privileged to glimpse this side of Severus. He wondered what Severus and his mother had in common, and what they spoke about. Was it just the excitement of magic and the freedom of Hogwarts? Harry would have given anything to have had even a single friend before Ron and Hagrid.

As he considered Severus lucky to spend the holidays with his mum, he thought back to the young Snape from that disastrous Occlumency lesson. This gangling teenaged version probably found Hogwarts a lonely reality. Despite Harry's tribulations of having a Dark Lord on his tail and putting up with Malfoy and his cronies, he could at least say school was a lot of fun.

He felt a pang of nostalgia for simpler days with Ron and Hermione, and vowed to be a better friend. He feared what they would think when they learnt he was speaking to Severus every day, but never to them.

God. Such a shit friend.

Sometimes, he loathed himself. His misery at cutting out his friends was a safe enough topic to talk about with his Muggle counsellor. He had been trying for so hard for so long to get better, though the advent of Snape and the Wolfsbane had lit up his days.