Slytherin Adoption

Surprises

          Harry stared at Professor Snape and Lucius Malfoy in shock. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard and was trying to process. He turned wide eyes on Draco, who only beamed at him, before looking back at the two adults. Could he believe them? Was this some kind of major prank? He’d never think it of Lucius but the Professor? That was a different story. The man had hated him since day one. How can he trust anything he had to say?

          “Y…you w…want to a…adopt me?” Great, now his stutter was even worse than ever. Who would want a boy who can’t even talk properly, much less read or write. Not that they knew the last part. Come to think of it, he should probably tell them. Or at the very least, Lucius. He really needed to learn to read if he wanted to stay at Hogwarts. He knew that, of course, but that didn’t make it easy. Shaking those thoughts away, he looked back at Lucius and Severus. “W…who?” The two men looked at each other.

          “Me,” Snape said quietly, hesitantly reaching forward but Harry took a step back before the Professor's hand could touch him. He started shaking his head, his emerald green eyes wide with fear. Before anyone could stop him, he turned and ran. Severus stood to go after him but Lucius stopped him with a hand on his arm.

          “Let him go,” the blonde said softly, nodding at Draco, indicating he should go make sure his friend was alright. Draco ran out of the room and Lucius looked up at Severus, who was still standing. “He’s had a rough first week of school.” Severus sighed and sat back down. “Also, your treatment of him probably made it harder.” Severus opened his mouth and then shut it, falling against the back of the chair. “I told you getting his trust was going to be hard, maybe even impossible. I think you need to start with being honest with him…about his father.”

          “How am I supposed to tell an abused child, who has probably always wished his parents were still alive and would rescue him, that his father…his father…that his father was no better than his uncle?” Severus's voice broke at the end and Lucius gently rubbed the man's back, soothingly.

          “He'll understand why you were so determined to hate him without even really knowing him.”

          Draco frantically searched for Harry everywhere. He searched the common room, the dorms, the library, and several classrooms. The more he looked, the more worried he got. Harry was nowhere to be found. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, the blonde decided to head back to the common room. Maybe Harry had needed some time to himself and now had gone back. He had just started walking down the stairs to the dungeons, when a voice called his name.

          “Malfoy!” Draco turned to see one of the Weasley twins who had helped him and Harry at the train station. “Are you looking for Harry Potter?” he asked as he ran over. Draco slowly nodded. “I saw him run outside about fifteen minutes ago.” The young Malfoy Heir could have slapped himself. Of all the places he searched, he never even considered the boy might have gone outside. Muttering a thank you, Draco raced outside and sure enough, Harry was sitting by the lake.

          “Harry?” He slowly approached and Harry turned to look at him. It was clear that he had been crying. There were no tears, but his eyes were red and puffy. Draco sat down and looked at him. “Are you okay?” Harry just turned his head and gazed out across the lake again.

          “What's it like?” he whispered and Draco was elated. Harry wasn’t stuttering which meant, no matter what he was feeling, he was still comfortable around him. Then he frowned as he finally processed the question.

          “What is what like?” Harry sighed and pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. He then placed his chin on top of his knees, still looking at the lake.

          “Having parents.” He was still whispering and Draco had to move closer to hear.

          “It's a wonderful feeling,” Draco explained, putting an arm around Harry. “To have people who love me no matter how I mess up, who tell me they’re proud of me, who hug me and kiss me…there’s nothing else in the world like it.” Harry just lay his head on Draco's shoulder and was silent for a long moment.

          “When I was little, I used to lay in my cupboard…”

          “Cupboard?” Draco interrupted.

          “My bedroom.” Harry said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world and Draco was glad he couldn’t see the anger in his eyes. He gave the smaller boy a small squeeze in silent support. “I used to lay there and wish my parents hadn’t left me. I would make up stories, when it got especially bad. My parents weren't really dead. They just didn’t know where I was but someday, they would find me and take me away. They’d tell me they loved me and had missed me and we’d…we'd be a family. That’s all I wanted…a family.” He fell silent again.

          “I think you should give Uncle Severus a chance,” Draco said earnestly. “He’s really not that bad once you get to know him.” Harry didn’t reply.

          It took a lot of convincing on Draco's part, a lot of convincing, but on Sunday evening, after dinner, the two boys knocked on the door to Snape's office. The man answered the door, blinked a few times, and then wordlessly held the door opened wider. Draco and Harry entered, the later holding tight to Draco's hand. Severus closed the door and turned to look at them.

          “I…I don't k…know about the a…adoption,” Harry said, his eyes never leaving the floor. “B…but maybe we c…could get to k…know each o…other?” He still didn’t lift his eyes until a hand gently lifted his chin and he saw the Professor kneeling before him.

          “I'd love that, Harry.” Harry gave a tentative smile and the Potions Master smiled back. The boys left but an hour later, Draco was back.

          “Harry's asleep,” his Godson announced as he flopped in a chair. Severus gave a little snort of amusement at the boy's dramatics and sat behind his desk.

          “So you're bored and thought you would bother me?” Draco smirked before adopting a serious look.

          “Actually, I wanted to talk to you.” Severus was pretty sure he knew what was coming but merely nodded his head. “I had to spend all weekend convincing Harry to give you a chance. Don’t make me regret that!” He gave Severus a warning glare. “If you hurt him…” He trailed off but Severus was very much aware what the son of Lucius Malfoy could do if he were angry enough.

          “I have no intention of hurting Harry, Draco.” Draco nodded in acceptance.

          “Good. Now one more thing…Harry can’t read.” Severus blinked in shock. “His aunt and uncle never sent him to school, so he never learned.”

          “But the muggles have laws about those types of things,” Severus protested. “They would have gotten in a lot of trouble if someone found out.”

          “I’m not sure how they got away with it.” Draco stood up. “Maybe that’s something you should ask him.” He went to the door. “Please, don’t tell him I told you. I just thought you needed to know.” Severus nodded and Draco left.