Shifting Loyalties - A Drarry & Severitus Fanfic

Chapter 9 - The Escape Artist

October 15, 1983

Severus's POV

Severus had barely managed to settle into his chair with a cup of tea when he felt it—an all-too-familiar sense of impending doom. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something was wrong. It had been nearly twenty minutes since he had last heard from Harry, which, in the toddler world, was a worrying amount of silence.

Harry had been playing in the corner of the common room with a set of magical blocks, content to build (and occasionally explode) towers. Severus had decided to take this rare moment of peace to sit down with a book. It was a peaceful Saturday afternoon, and for once, Harry wasn't throwing any tantrums or making mischief.

But peace never lasted long in the Snape-Potter household.

Setting down his tea, Severus rose from his chair, already mentally preparing himself for whatever disaster awaited. 

"Harry?" he called, striding out of his study and into the common room. The blocks were scattered on the floor, but the child in question was nowhere to be seen.

Severus's eyes narrowed. The door to the quarters was cracked open, just enough for a small, mischievous boy to slip through.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled slowly. "Bloody hell."---

Harry's POV

Harry was on a mission.

The castle was vast, filled with secret passages, hidden rooms, and unexplored corners just waiting for him to discover. How could Severus expect him to sit quietly with a bunch of boring blocks when there was so much out there?

Sure, maybe he wasn't technically allowed to wander off without telling Severus, but it wasn't like he was going to get hurt or anything. He was a wizard, after all! And he knew how to handle himself. Mostly.

Harry darted down the hallway, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. The dungeons were always quiet on weekends, so it was easy to sneak past the older students, most of whom were too busy lazing around or doing homework. Harry smirked. They had no idea what they were missing. He was going to find the coolest place in the castle, and then Severus would have to admit that Harry knew how to take care of himself.

Harry's first target was the moving staircases. He had learned pretty early on that they were tricky to navigate, but also really fun once you got the hang of it. He had been on them once before, though Severus had freaked out when he found out, giving Harry a long lecture about how dangerous they were for "someone his size."

But Harry was not afraid of a few stupid staircases. He was going to make it to the top without falling this time, and maybe he'd even find the secret room Bill Weasley had told him about—something with "mirror" in the name. 

Bill had said it showed you what you wanted most in the world. Harry wasn't quite sure what he wanted, but it sounded cool enough to check out.

As Harry crept up the first set of stairs, they shuddered beneath him, then began to move. He wobbled slightly, clutching the banister for balance. "Whoa!" he gasped, grinning as the staircase shifted and swung him around toward the next landing.