As Potter is to Snape

Chapter 22

"Inside." That was the first word spoken by Snape as he opened the front door to the manor and gestured for the boys to walk in ahead of him.

Harry and Draco exchanged a glance before moving past Snape.
"On the couch." Snape shut the door behind them and took a breath before he followed the boys into the living room. They had both taken spots on either end of the long sofa and neither was looking up at him. Snape stood on the other side of the coffee table and glared down at them with his arms crossed.

Suddenly the grandfather clock in the corner struck one. Just one, single, loud bong that seemed to cause the heaviness in the room to settle even further around them. Harry's eyes closed as he sighed.

"One in the morning," Snape said quietly. "Three hours after I sent you both to bed."

"Uncle Sev-" Whatever excuse Draco had been planning to give was abruptly cut off as Snape's black eyes snapped to meet his own blue ones. Draco lowered his head once more, unable to keep eye contact with his Godfather any longer.

"Of all the foolish, dunderheaded stunts you two could have pulled, you chose to sneak out in the dead of night for something as absurd as a concert!" His voice began to rise as he went on. "Did it even cross your minds that there is a killer on the loose?! That if he had somehow found out where you are staying, that he could have taken you and you wouldn't have been able to do anything about it?!"

"We had our wands." Harry defended, but even as he said it, he thought it sounded dumb.

If possible, Snape's eyes narrowed even more. "Ah, yes, because two third years are such a match for a fully grown, highly trained, maniacal, dark wizard!"

Harry and Draco slumped further down into their seats.

"And even if Black wasn't out there, in what world would it be okay for two, just turned thirteen-year-olds to go traipsing around a village that you know nothing about when no one knows where in the bloody hell you are?!" Snape was yelling by the end of his rant and he immediately noticed when Harry visibly flinched at his tone.

Harry had crossed his arms around his middle and was still staring resolutely down at a spot near his knees. His breathing was shallow, coming out in small puffs instead of in the slow and steady way that he would be if he were feeling relaxed.

Snape turned away to face the fireplace and then closed his eyes before he took a deep breath of his own. He needed to deal with this calmly. He hadn't meant to scare the boy. He counted to ten and took another breath. When he turned back around, Draco was looking up at him but Harry was still in the same position, though his arms had loosened and his breathing was a bit more regular.

Snape took a seat in his chair and sighed.

"Alright, it's late and you two should have been in bed hours ago, so I think the best thing to do now, is just to go to bed and we can talk about this in the morning."

Both Harry and Draco were looking at him now. "What?" Asked Draco in disbelief.

"You heard me. Go to bed."

Draco didn't need telling twice as he quickly stood from his spot on the couch and left the room without a backward glance. Harry, however, still sat quietly.

"Go on, Harry," Snape urged, "Get some sleep."

"You're-you're angry."

Snape let out a slow breath and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger before saying, "I was, but right now I'm just tired."

"I'm sorry," Harry spoke quietly.

"I know." Snape nodded, "And I'm sorry that I yelled like that. I didn't mean to frighten you."