A Brother To Basilisks (a Drarry fanfic)

Chapter 14: Blowup

Severus ushered Potter, and his snake, into his office, and then paused and checked the door. There was a Locking Charm on it already, but he strengthened it. He didn't want to think of what would happen if they got interrupted, and someone took what Severus was saying the wrong way.

Potter just stood there stolidly and watched him. He usually stroked his snake when he was stressed or upset, Severus had already learned, but right now, his hand lay limply on the basilisk's back. The basilisk itself had twisted his head in Severus's direction, but showed no sign of lifting his eyelids or baring his fangs or any other unusual mark of aggression.

Perhaps this will work. Severus inclined his head to Potter. He knew what he wanted to say, but now how to say it. "Would you care for some tea?"

Potter's eyes opened wide enough that he looked as if he was going to bolt. Severus was doubly glad of the Locking Charm on the door.

He was not so glad about the way the basilisk hissed, and raised his head. A second later, Potter shook his head and murmured, "No." The basilisk was still, but Potter's forehead furrowed, and he muttered, "No, really, I don't think so. No, it's solid. No, you cannot break it down."

Severus hid his immediate reaction to this chattering to the basilisk, which was that it was rude and undignified, and said dryly, "I assume you are talking about my door? I, too, would prefer if you did not break it down."

Potter flushed and shook his head. "Sorry, sir. I thought I was speaking in Parseltongue." He hesitated, and the basilisk's tail curved up and struck him in the back of the neck. Potter sighed, then said in the same put-upon voice Severus had heard children use when delivering a message from their parents, "Dash wants to know if you're going to put potions in the tea."

"No," said Severus, and kept his face bland. It was less difficult than he had expected, even though he did not want Potter to challenge him any more than he had when the boy was an annoyance and nothing more. After what he had learned in Dumbledore's office... "Only the charms that warm it."

Potter glanced away from him, cheeks still bright red. "Thank you, sir."

A second later, he was gazing at the basilisk, absorbed, in a way that made Severus assume he was speaking down the bond. Severus walked over to a cauldron that he kept for ordinary cooking when he was working late on a potion and could leave it for only a short time, and filled it with water. A second later, he lit the fire and reached for the leaves of the appropriate herbs that he kept on the shelves.

Potter was watching him again by the time he turned around. "Thanks for taking that so well, sir," he muttered, as though he assumed his basilisk's bad behavior required a second apology. He looked around, half-lost, and Severus drew his wand and conjured a chair. Potter dropped into it and poked the basilisk until it dropped and curled more on his lap than on his shoulders. "Not a lot of people would."

"I assume that your basilisk is not used to people respecting his opinions?" Severus cast another spell that would make the water's bubbles as it boiled increase in size, and began to sift in the right herbs.

"Well, I mean," said Potter, and touched the snake's neck. "My Housemates know to respect him now, or they'll be getting a snap at least. Dash wouldn't actually hurt them, but they don't like it anyway."

Nor would I, Severus thought, and simply nodded. He was still trying to feel out the steps of this conversation, but he did not think that making such a private confession to Potter right at the beginning was the way to do it.

Potter folded his arms a second later, as though he was hunching, and stared at Severus out of the corner of his eye. "It's nice of you to make tea for me and everything, sir, but what is this really about?"