𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑻𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑶𝑹 || 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏.

From the moment they entered the room it was evident that Harry was going to enjoy this party more than Snape was. An enormous banner reading "TEACHERS, HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU!" hung across the huge entryway to the Great Hall. There were streamers everywhere. Multi-colored candles were bobbing up and down in the air and occasionally one would zoom into someone's face and beginning singing "Lollipop, Lollipop!". It was a very typical decorating job for Dumbledore. Harry was staring wide eyed at everything, looking happy but apprehensive at the same time. He wasn't used to so many people. Of course, Snape was one of the last to arrive.

"Ah Severus! You've arrived!" Dumbledore called across the Hall, bringing everyone's attention to the annoyed Potions Professor. "Fashionably late, as always."

"I assure you headmaster," Snape returned dryly. "My intentions were anything but fashionable,"

Dumbledore laughed and shook his head. "Oh Severus, you are a hoot. Come and have a seat!" he said, indicating an empty chair at the table where they were all seated. Severus was a bit miffed and insulted to note that a chair had not been left for Harry. It would have to be another meal with Harry on his lap, and it had not been kind of Dumbledore to leave out seating arrangements for a boy who he seemed so concerned about. Annoyed or not, Severus knew this was one evening he wouldn't be getting out of so he nodded to the old wizard and took the indicated chair. He happened to be sitting between Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall. Directly across from him was another vacant chair.

"Excellent to see you," Professor Sprout said, happily. The two professors got along reasonably well, because Professor Sprout often provided Snape with ingredients for his potions. Besides the fact that Snape found her a bit slow at times, and that he found her speaking voice altogether too loud, he really didn't have much of a problem with her.

"Evening," he said back.

She chuckled. "Looks like you've been keeping yourself busy, Severus!" she commented.

From a couple seats away Nurse Pomfrey nodded enthusiastically. "Oh I know! But he insists the child isn't his. Still tending, hmm?"

Snape rolled his eyes.

"Oh but the boy isn't Severus'." McGonagall interjected, liking the fact that she was more in the know than many of the other teachers.

Flitwick raised his large eyebrows in surprise, and the look of them shooting up his bald forehead was quite an interesting sight. "Awfully quick to come to Snape's defense there, aren't you Minerva?" he squeaked, in good humor.

Minerva blushed deeply and Snape sent Flitwick a look that probably wasn't in very good tense, considering they were at a dinner party. Dumbledore, however, found the comment very funny and laughed, along with many of the other staff present.

"That boy," Dumbledore said, regaining his composure. "Does not belong to Professor Snape. I have merely asked Severus to watch out for him until I release him from that duty, and he has complied. I'm sure he would appreciate it if you would not give him grief about the situation,"

Snape nodded once in the direction of the headmaster and gave Flitwick one more glare.

It was then that Harry decided he was going to make the party more exciting. He grabbed a spoon from off the table and threw it. Just as Snape was about to tell him that such behavior was inappropriate Harry turned his head to Snape, looking ashamed and nodded. "No, Pot." he said sadly.

"Harry." Snape corrected, looking embarrassed.

And then Snape felt like hiding under the table, because from the entrance of the Great Hall came a loud voice. "Severus Snape!" it called, sounding within a trance. "I feel your presence HERE!" Madam Trelawny swept into the room and whisked her way to the empty chair across from Snape.

"I have consulted the stars," she declared. "And they have informed me of your deep and abiding love for me!"

"Consult again," Snape said with disgust. "Because no such feeling resides within this body,"

"Not in the body, perhaps," she said. "But most certainly, ah, most certainly in the soul!"

Snape was about to inform her otherwise, and it was certain that choice words would be involved, but Dumbledore spoke first.

"Sybill! You know the rules, dear girl, no predictions at parties. Have a seat and we can begin our fine meal!"

"Very well..." Trelawny relented.

A few moments after she sat, Dumbledore clapped his hands and food appeared on the table.

Snape allowed himself a small smile as he remembered one thing he loved about being at Hogwarts, not needing to cook.

When the meal began Snape offered the first bite of chicken to Harry who shook his head vehemently and put his hands over his mouth.

"Are you not going to eat today?" Snape asked, sounding surprised. Harry normally ate what he offered.

Harry responded by turning his head to hide his face in Snape's robes. Snape decided that Harry would eat when he was ready, and ate the bite himself. The meal went about as expected. Snape kept his head down and ate quietly, avoiding the conversation when at all possible. He did not mean to be rude, but why should he care what the other professors had been doing with their time off? The answers were predictable enough anyway. Sprout had been gardening, McGonagall and been chasing mice in cat form and reading Jane Austen, Quirrell had been studying both muggles and iguanas (an odd fetish of his), and the list went on. The only other professor present who seemed as uninterested in the talk as Snape was Professor Bins, who switched between looking sadly, longly, at the food in front of him and dozing off. They were about half way done eating, when Harry grabbed Snape's hand and with his other hand pointed to his mouth which he opened big.

"Are you ready now?" Snape asked quietly, but not tenderly. He blew on a bite of mashed potatoes and fed Harry. The meal continued this way, and periodically one or another of the female teachers would coo over Harry and how well he ate his big-boy food. Snape wanted to tell them that he did not want this kind of talk around Harry, it would just make him grow up with an undistinguished vocabulary. However, he kept his mouth shut and did his best to ignore them.

"Now, come on Severus, you need to eat too. Let me feed the little man," Minerva suggested.

"I don't think he'd like that," Snape responded without a hint of hesitation.

"Severus. He can't be that fussy," she insisted.

Snape shook his head. He knew that sometime Harry was going to need to get used to other people, but he wasn't ready for that yet. That wasn't what he told himself though. He told himself he didn't want Harry making a scene and fussing, that was the story he was going to stick to.

McGonagall was put out, but she didn't ask again. She returned to the conversation and Snape fed Harry the last bite. He glanced up at the clock as the plates were cleared. Dinner was over, but the worst had only begun. He knew exactly what was going to come next, because it happened every single time.

"Alright!" Dumbledore called. "It's time for dancing, and don't just stand out on the side, you know what happens then."