As Potter is to Snape

Chapter 13

After a silent dinner, Snape asked Jenka for tea as he always did. Harry sat down on the couch though and didn't move to the armchair when it arrived. Snape didn't say anything at first, simply set Harry's cup on the other side of the tea tray and poured tea for himself.

Harry stubbornly sat pouting on the couch. He would never admit it, but that is exactly what he was doing. He had his arms crossed and head bowed, his mouth set in a hard frown as he glared up at Snape through his fringe of dark hair.

He hated this! He didn't know how to be grounded. He didn't know what he was allowed or not allowed to do and the uncertainty was really starting to bother him. He knew he was going to be allowed to eat, that much he was sure of. And Snape had said that he didn't need to worry about getting hurt like at the Dursleys, but what if it was just some plot to get him to let his guard down? It would be such a Slytherin thing to do.

And a whole week without leaving Snape's side?! That was going to be torture enough! What was he even supposed to do besides homework? Harry was sure that he would be bored to tears after the first day.

"I know that you want tea, Potter." Snape's voice interrupted his thinking, "So you're either pouting because of your punishment in general or because you don't think you're allowed to have any, neither of which is acceptable. Come and have some tea, but you're only getting one biscuit."

"I'm not pouting," Harry said as he looked up fully at the man. Snape picked up the teapot and poured some into Harry's cup.

"Of course not, Potter."

"Maybe I just don't want tea. You don't know everything, Snape."

Snape ignored Harry's nonuse of his title as he took a breath before adding cream and sugar to Harry's cup. "If that is truly the case, then, by all means, continue in your sulking."

Harry waited another few seconds, seriously considering not having tea just to prove a point, but in the end, the chocolate biscuits that Snape had sat closer to his side of the tray decided for him.

Harry dropped down into his chair and picked up his tea and a biscuit without a word. He was only slightly surprised to find that his tea was exactly how he liked it. The biscuit was really good too and Harry wondered if he'd be able to nick another one when Snape wasn't looking.

Snape held his tea but had barely drunk any of it as he seemed to be drowning in his own thoughts. And of course, they were consumed with the boy beside him. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he hadn't just let the child stew on the couch. What did Snape care if he had tea with him or not? But Snape knew that for some reason, Harry liked having tea after dinner. It had become part of their routine and he didn't see a reason to take it away from him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Snape noticed Harry's hand inch toward the plate of biscuits, and for reasons entirely unknown to him, he turned his attention back to his own cup as he pretended not to see the boy take one.

Merlin, what's happening to me? He thought.

"Professor!" Harry said suddenly as if just remembering something important. Snape turned to him but Harry continued without prompting. "There was a woman out there! Did anyone find her?"

Snape looked down at the boy, his eyes narrowed in confusion. "Where, Potter?"

"On the quidditch pitch. When the dementors attacked. I heard her screaming!"

Snape shook his head slowly. "The only people there were Professor Lupin and yourself."

"There had to have been. I heard her right before I...you know, passed out."