To Have a Home

A Lion's Pride

Previously in To Have A Home:

"Thank you, Professor. For everything. Good night."

He allowed a small smile to appear on his face for a moment.

"Good night, Harry."

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Albus Dumbledore sat silently in his office, contemplating the fact that his plans for the Boy-Who-Lived have gone askew. He never could have imagined that Severus would come to care for the boy. After all, James Potter had made the Slytherin's life hell during their time as students. It seems that he had been sorely mistaken.

It was imperative for the Headmaster to intercept the letters sent by the young Potter, to ensure that none reached their targets; all except for one. For it did not seem possible that Severus Snape would actually take the boy seriously. How could he have known that his Spy would see the letter as more than just the attention-seeking ramblings of an angsty teen?

He thought back to all of the frantic floo calls he had received over the years from Arabella Figg. Time and time again she called him, practically begging the older man to check on the young boy whom she had been tasked with monitoring. She reported visible bruises on his arms, frequent physical bullying from the youngest Dursley and his goons, and other red flags that would no doubt warrant a visit from social services. He had reassured her every time that Harry Potter was where he needed to be, not to worry, and that he had the boy's best interest in mind.

It was important for the Boy-Who-Lived to grow up away from fame. In the Headmaster's eyes, Harry's rough upbringing was necessary in order to be able to face off against Voldemort upon his return. It was in his opinion that prolonged hardship would help to mold the boy into his perfect soldier.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of someone entering his office. Within moments, he was face to face with a very irate Minerva Mcgonagall. The Head of Gryffindor looked at the man with the fury of a Lioness protecting her pride.

"Albus, you are going to tell me what is going on regarding Harry Potter. I have sat by for long enough." She demanded.

"Minerva, I assure you, Harry is perfectly fine. He is currently too busy to attend classes, but worry not. He is keeping up with his education."

Minerva fought the urge to roll her eyes at the man before her who was most obviously lying.

"You will start telling me the truth this instant. I am his Head of House, and it is my job to worry about my lions. I will be informed of his whereabouts and his current state of wellbeing, or you will find my resignation on your desk before you can say Hogwarts." The woman practically yelled.

"Don't be silly, Minerva. I would tell you the instant I found out anything was wrong with Harry. The boy is completely fine." Albus replied with a twinkle in his eyes.

"If I find out you are lying to me, you will have to find yourself another Transfiguration professor. Are we clear?" The woman threatened.

"Of course, my dear. As soon as I know anything, I will inform you immediately." Dumbledore said with a smile.

With the swish of her robes, Minerva Mcgonagall stormed out of the office, making her way down to the dungeons to speak with a certain Potions Professor. If anyone could find out information regarding her student, it would be Severus.

During her trek through the castle, she couldn't help but ponder about the growing distance between Ron and Hermione. She had been watching the two like a hawk since they began to form a romantic connection years prior, and now, it was as if they repelled each other. Similar to the Slytherins, the Scottish woman's house seemed to be in turmoil not only due to the absence of Harry Potter, but the looming presence and questionable teaching methods of one Delores Umbridge.

As if the castle could read her thoughts, the older woman nearly ran into the short Defense Against The Dark Arts professor.

"Oh, Minerva. It's so lovely to see you. I was just on my way to Professor Snape's office to discuss a student's behavior." The toad-like woman informed, a slight smirk on her face.

Minerva forced a smile. She, like her students, did not enjoy interacting with the newest addition to the Hogwarts staff. She had heard the whispers through the halls of students complaining about the woman, and how her detentions were akin to medieval torture sessions. One particular student had continuously caught her eye since the beginning of term. Draco Malfoy had seemed withdrawn and anxious since he arrived at Hogwarts, and Minerva planned to bring up her concern with the boy's Godfather.

The deputy headmistress stood back and watched the other woman knock lightly on the door to the Potion professor's office. She heard a faint "enter", and followed behind Dolores as they ventured into the room.

"Good evening, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Severus asked, quirking an eyebrow at the other Head of House.

Before Minerva could answer, she was unsurprisingly cut off by the other female in the room.

"I am here to speak with you about the ongoing disrespect and misbehavior that has been coming from one of the fifth year Slytherins." She informed, a strange glint in her eyes.

"Mr. Malfoy has thought it prudent to consistently interrupt me during classes, and lie by speaking in defense of Harry Potter. I know that his father would be very disappointed if he were to learn of his uncouth behavior." Dolores added with a smirk, as if threatening to inform the man.

Severus subtly glanced at Minerva. The woman knew the implications behind the gaze and nodded, for she knew that should Lucius Malfoy find out about Draco's recent actions, the boy would truly be in danger.

"Do not worry, as I am his Head of House, I will speak with him." The man said. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss or may I now have a private word with Minerva?" He asked, trying to hide his disdain for the subject of their conversation.

"I will be in touch regarding any future outbursts from Mister Malfoy." Dolores informed, taking her leave of the office.

Minerva turned to Severus, quickly conjuring a locking charm on the door along with a privacy ward on the room, before taking a seat across from her colleague.

"I assume that you are aware of Mr. Potter's whereabouts?" She started, a wave of relief consuming her at Severus's nod of affirmation.

Without any preamble, Severus launched into his explanation, from the scene he came upon at Privet Drive, up to the bestowing of the photo albums upon the boy. By the end of his recollection of events, Minerva felt a strong urge to pour herself a tall glass of firewhiskey. She had some choice words for a certain Headmaster, and also for herself, as she remembered her awful gut feeling regarding the Dursleys on that terrible night long ago.

Severus, being a natural legilimens, summoned two glasses along with a half empty bottle of firewhiskey. He poured the amber liquid into both glasses before taking a long sip, savoring the burn it left in his chest.

"You do understand my reasoning for not informing you about this entire situation prior to this evening, correct?" The man asked.

"I do. While I am astronomically frustrated, I will always put my students' safety first." Minerva relented.

The Head of Slytherin nodded, obviously holding a similar sentiment. The two Professors sat in silence for a little while, one still reeling with the newly acquired information, and the other formulating a plan to keep his godson safe from their new coworker.

"I would implore you to keep this between us. I am painfully aware of Albus's meddling ways, and I feel that his further involvement in Harry's life poses a much bigger threat than the Dark Lord himself."

Minerva wisely didn't say anything about Severus's use of Harry's first name, instead focusing on the boy's current wellbeing.

For the next hour, the two worked out their plans to keep Albus at bay while maintaining the safety of Harry and Draco. Minerva intended to visit Harry in his current quarters, and Severus aimed to meet with Draco to discuss protective measures. Finally, Minerva bid Severus a good evening, and left the office in order to prepare for the following day's Hogsmeade trip.