𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑻𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑶𝑹 || 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒.

The sorting was done, the feast had been had, and the students were all giggling in their dormitories, wondering what the next day would bring for them. Severus was sitting in the living room. Harry had been asleep through the entire ordeal, and so Snape had left him in his crib. Of course, he'd cast a small charm on the crib which worked something like a baby monitor. If Harry stirred or began crying Snape would feel a tingling on the back of his neck and would go check on him. Luckily, Harry had slept peacefully and Snape had been able to glower and glare throughout the feast without interruption.

"'Nape!" Harry called from the other room.

Snape stood up and went to get the little boy. When he entered and saw Harry's happy face, his cheek all red from where it had been pressed against his fist in slumber, Snape couldn't help but smile a bit. He picked up the toddler and carried him to the kitchen. Snape felt guilty for resenting the boy earlier, he wasn't his father, and Snape was going to see to it that he would be raised not to act like him. He strapped Harry into his booster seat and brought Harry the plate of food he had saved for him from the feast, kept warm and fresh by another charm. Harry ate happily, chewing loudly, and waving his spoon around between bites. By the time he had finished he was very messy. Snape quickly washed him up, and got him into pajamas. Once he was ready for bed, Snape took Harry on his lap and sat down with him in the living room.

"Now listen, Harry," Snape said seriously. "Tomorrow all the boys and girls are going to come see Professor Snape. You need to be on your best behavior. No distractions, I have a reputation to uphold."

Harry gazed seriously into Snape's eyes and nodded.

"Good. There will be no silliness. Professor Snape demands respect in the classroom and you are not to interrupt that,"

"No. No Pot!" Harry declared.

"Your name is Harry," Snape said. "Now what shall we do before bedtime?"

------------------------ ~♥~ ------------------------

It was the next morning. Snape hadn't felt so nervous in years. He had chosen to eat in his rooms, rather than try and get himself and Harry both ready in time to eat in the Great Hall. Besides, he wanted the students' first impression of him to be something a little more commanding than loving caregiver, not that he would ever consider himself that anyway. Snape had mulled over several options of what to do with Harry while he taught class. He could put the playpen in the room, he could hope he napped all day (even Severus knew that was a bad plan as soon as he thought of it), or he could let another teacher watch him. That plan didn't suit Snape at all. It made him irritable thinking about it. For the time being, Snape decided to try leaving Harry in the office. He would be close, and could hear him if he fussed, but he wouldn't present an immediate distraction.

It was almost frightening how small the office seemed with a playpen for Harry in there. Snape really couldn't think of a better option for the time though, so he stocked the playpen with toys, books, the owl, and a blanky. Harry seemed very interested by the potions classroom and didn't like it when Snape set him the playpen and then walked out of the office.

"'Nape!" Harry called out. Snape was tempted to chew his pinky nail, a habit he'd rid himself of when he was ten years old. The students would be arriving any minute. How was he going to handle this?

"'Napey!" came the plaintive cry again. Snape rushed from the front of the classroom, where he had posed himself dramatically, leaning against the desk in an intimidating fashion, to his office.

"Harry," he said sternly. "You have plenty to keep you occupied. Professor Snape is going to be very busy for the next little while."

Harry frowned, his bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

"Displacing your bottom lip like that will only lead you to a whole lot of disappointment," Snape said knowingly, and somehow somewhat wistfully.

Harry didn't move his lip, and reached his arm out to Severus.

Snape entered the office all the way and knelt next to Harry's playpen. He took Harry's hand in one of his and looked into his big green eyes. "You need to be calm, Harry," Snape said. "I need to work. Now say goodbye and behave yourself in here. I will check on you after class,"

Harry looked down sadly and picked up his owl.

"Goodbye Harry, Professor Snape will see you in a short while,"

"Bye-bye," Harry muttered, so quietly Snape felt extremely lucky he heard it.

------------------------ ~♥~ ------------------------

"Welcome to Potions Class," Snape said, coldly, and of course not sounding very welcoming at all. This class was fourth years, they knew the drill so Snape didn't delve into the whole routine he had perfected the night before. It involved stopping death, brewing fame and glory and all that sort of thing. It was the best introduction he'd come up with yet, he thought he may even keep it for years to come. He secretly was very excited for the first year classes so he could give it, but for the fourth years he just reminded them that it was a "no nonsense class, which required the highest amount of discipline".

As he began giving students their first assignment, to brew a hair growing mixture, -amid cries of "What?" and "Already?"- Snape felt anxious, wondering how Harry was doing. He finally felt back in his element however when he was able to deduct ten points from Gryffindor, for disrespectful looks and gestures in his general direction.

------------------------ ~♥~ ------------------------

The moment the last student was out of the classroom, Snape rushed to his office to check on Harry, who was asleep in his playpen, with his fist in his mouth. Snape allowed himself a small smile, and reached forward to touch Harry's thick, dark hair, when he heard footsteps approaching the classroom. Snape shook his head. He needed to get back in character. He gave Harry one more glance, just making sure he was okay, and then he went out into the classroom. He felt a tiny bit like doing a happy dance as he realized his next class was first years, Hufflepuffs. They were already easy to intimidate. Secretly, theirs was the class Snape liked to teach best, it always proved very entertaining. He crossed him arms severely across his chest and glared as the young students entered his classroom. Chatter and giggling stopped as each student caught sight of the Potions Master. Within moments the desks were filled with shivering students. Snape felt that tremendous feeling of power he so relished and took a breath. He opened his mouth, ready to deliver the introduction to Potions class which was going to knock the student's socks off or scare them sick. It was then that a cry came loud and plain from the office.

"'Napey! Napey!"

The students looked back and forth at each other and at their Professor. The brave ones smiled, and one boy who undoubtedly displayed courage worthy of Gryffindor laughed.

Professor Snape felt rather deflated. So much for that idea.