Rewritten History

Chapter 23

Severus got his hair cut by his father a few days before he would return to Hogwarts for his fourth year. It wasn't an unusual occurrence; however, it had been a while since the last time.

His hair reached far below his shoulders and Astus was cutting it shorter but enough so he could gather it into a ponytail when he was brewing potions.

Severus liked it that way, short while his father wore the long hair with elegant style. Gently falling, never looking out of place even if he had just gotten out of bed in the morning. It was quite funny comparing the two of them with the two Malfoys, with Abraxas' hair short and Lucius' long. It was like the two children had taken after the different fathers.

"This good enough?" Astus asked and Severus looked into the mirror.

"Can I put it up?"

"No problems."

"Then it's fine," the teen replied. "It feels better now."

"I'm sure it does. Why didn't you ask to get it cut earlier, with the summer heat and all?"

"Dunno," Severus said. "It looks kind of nice but it's impractical for me. How can you get any work done with yours?"

"I put it up."

"So do I, and it's still not good enough!"

Astus chuckled. "I've gotten used to it," he said. "Having a few strands constantly ending up my eyes is no troubles anymore."

"It's annoying."

"It is for everyone at first."

Astus banished the excess hair around them and Severus inspected the new haircut some more.

"Have you got everything packed?" he asked his son.

"Yes, more or less. You asked me that yesterday."

"Well, I never was any good remembering everything for school," Astus said. "Never was good at remembering anything."

"Come on, you can't have been that bad," Severus said and turned to him.

"I was awful," Astus said. "Glad I never taught you that."

"You're not sloppy or anything," the teen said.

Astus knew he used to be. Oh, all the times Hermione had scolded him… Now he only smiled at his son and ruffled the teen's hair fondly.

"I was a teenager once, Sev," he said. "You know that."

"I just can't see you like one."

Couldn't blame him for that. Astus' smile got wider and he sat down to look outside.

-o-

They had time to talk to Petunia a bit on the platform, as she had made sure they would meet up. Astus was shocked to see her now as a young, beautiful woman. She dressed modern, but with a broach Bellatrix had bought her.

Come to think about, Astus had never seen pictures of Petunia as young whilst he lived at the Dursleys. No photo-albums from her childhood. He had never seen a photo of her and Lily together, and now she was sending them to Severus in fits of happiness. She sent some to Bellatrix as well, and she was starting to try out a career as an artist.