To Have a Home

Reunions and Remembrance

Previously in To Have A Home:

Severus explained what had happened to Draco, as well as how he had defended the Boy Who Lived in his absence, earning him detention. The man refrained from telling Harry about the conversation they had, in which his godson confessed his desire to befriend the Gryffindor; as well as the fact that he had been the only one to receive a letter, knowing that the teen needed more time to process his emotions.

It was in the silence that followed that a realization occurred.

Severus Snape and Harry Potter were two sides of the same coin.

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The atmosphere of Hogwarts had been filled with constant confusion and tension over the past two months. Confusion, because Harry Potter was still nowhere to be found; and tension, because of the overbearing and intimidating presence of one Dolores Jane Umbridge. For one platinum haired teen, the months seemed to last an eternity.

It was the morning of October 31st, and from the moment he woke up, Severus knew that the day was not going to be a good one. It wasn't just his own emotions that he was worried about, but the emotions of the still unstable Gryffindor that he had come to care for, as well as the mental state of his godson. It took all of his will in order to drag himself out of his bed on the day that was an annual reminder of his failures.

Entering the Great Hall for breakfast, Severus immediately noticed the distance between Granger and the youngest male Weasley. It was clear that the two were in the midst of an argument based on their occasional angry glances toward each-other. Unsurprisingly, the Weasley twins had their heads down, seemingly scheming about their next prank. Though unbeknownst to Severus, the identical students were planning on visiting Harry later in the day, having tracked his location using the Marauder's Map.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Severus kept his eye on Draco, taking notice of the fact that he also sat further away from his housemates. The overall morale within his house seemed somehow off over the course of the first two months of the school year. Severus heard the gossiping in the halls outside of his classroom, his ears picking up conversations that centered around the topic of the Boy Who Lived. It irked him to no end that the rumor mill of Hogwarts was so unforgiving.

Draco glanced down at his hand, the scars having faded ever so slightly, before shaking his head. Severus made a mental note to speak with his godson at some point in the day. Finishing his breakfast, he exited the Great Hall, stopping by the hospital wing to check on Harry. Over the last two months, Severus had been delivering school work and teaching Harry after dinner in order to keep him from falling behind. The two had developed a type of rapport after their similar upbringing came to light.

Severus sighed, knowing that today was the day that Harry would no doubt slip even deeper into his depression. He gave Madame Pomfrey explicit instructions to keep a close eye on the boy, due to the history of the day's events. Quietly he opened the door to the small room, peeking in to see his student still asleep. It was slightly concerning to Severus how often Harry would sleep, despite knowing that depression could manifest itself as physical fatigue.

Now that he knew that the boy was resting comfortably, the man prepared himself for his least favorite class. He still had no idea why Gryffindors and Slytherins were always paired up for potions. If the tension in the air within his own house was anything to go by, Severus couldn't imagine what the temperament would be like when the two houses combined. He could already feel a headache coming on.

He took a breath before making his entrance into his classroom, always wanting to intimidate his students. With a flick of his wand, directions were written on the board for the day's lesson.