Defending Heart

Chapter 11: Hedwig the Messenger

Severus and Lily sit together in the Slytherin Commonroom, somehow more warm and inviting when it's empty for the holidays. "Why are you staying in school over the holidays again?" he asks over a game of Wizard's Chess neither are particularly invested in. "Aren't your parents the nicest folks ever?" he recalls meeting them at Platform 9 3/4 a few years ago, happily married Muggles with a basket of muffins and a 'Welcome Home' card for their daughter returning for the summer. They'd taken a liking to him too and approve of their friendship.

"Yeah, but remember my little sister was born last month. I don't really feel like being around with a new baby," she sighs. "Rook to E5,"

"Bishop to E5," Severus grins. "Has to be better company than the stragglers left over for Hogwarts Christmas break,"

"You'd be surprised," she smiles at him, their moment interrupted by a light scraping from the window. They look over to see a large snowy owl with a letter in its beak scraping the window to get their attention. "Mail?" Lily wonders, walking over and opening the window. The snowy flutters over to the table, standing in the centre of the chess board and causing calamity, ending the game by knocking off all the pieces. She drops the letter at Severus' side.

Severus quirks an eyebrow and picks up the Gryffindor red coloured letter, Lily reading it over his shoulder.

Severus Snape.

You are invited, with parental permission, to stay as a guest in the Potter household from 24th of December 2018 to the 6th January 2019. This will be all expenses paid along with spending money set up from the Hogwarts Holiday Welfare fund. If you accept, please return this letter with confirmation with the owl who brought it - her name is Hedwig, isn't she cute? - to my office, she knows where to bring it.

I look forward to your decision,

Professor Harry Potter.

Severus blinks in surprise. "I've never heard of a student being invited to a Professor's house over the holidays!" he exclaims. "What the Hell even is this?"

"Oh no, it's a thing," Lily assures happily. "There's a special parental request form and everything! Wow, the Potter household. You'll be staying with the Minister for Magic!"

"I haven't said yes," Severus sighs, staring at the paper and trying to derive answers from it. He recalls his intimate moment with Professor Potter and tries to find a reason for this invitation other than pity. He hates being pitied, for everything from his family's dysfunction to their underclass background. He feels like rejecting the letter, that's his first instinct. But he can't help be intrigued. Professor Potter is an interesting person no doubt, and meeting the Minister for Magic would be amazing as well. The main issue is James.

The letter doesn't even mention him, will he be there at all? Of course he will. And Severus surmises this must be a last-ditch effort by Harry to ensure Severus doesn't have the opportunity to reveal his secret persona, or whatever that is. Either that or James wants Severus there to work on that project over the holidays. Can't the Potter family take a break from being shady and illicit for two weeks?! "I'd rather just stay here with you,"

"Don't be stupid," Lily sighs, shaking her head. "I know you'll deny it but you've been acting differently since your detention. Whatever happened with Professor Potter is worth exploring. And this might be James trying to do something nice for you,"

Severus looks sceptical but Lily grins anyway. "At least go so you can tell me what the Minister for Magic's house looks like?"

He hums, grinning back at her. "I bet it's got archives upon archives of rare textbooks," he quickly writes his consent on the parchment and hands it back to Hedwig. He lets her perch on his arm and holds her to the window, where with a single, colossal push she shoots into the air, circling back around the turret to Harry's office.

Harry paces around his office. He's too jumpy to sit at his desk. Nerves stretched tightly as his head feels in conflict and anticipatory worry. Where's Hedwig? He sent her to the Slytherin commonroom... 18 minutes and 54 seconds ago. She should be back by now shouldn't she? Maybe his watch is fast. For the fourth time he leans out his window to spot her, and for the first time he does, seeing her swoop gracefully up to his window. He grins brightly, seeing her presence as confirmation of Severus' acceptance. She sits on the windowsill as he gently strokes her feathers, picking the letter from her beak and reading his confirmation. Harry throws the parchment up which hits off the ceiling, spinning and laughing to himself as his robes whisk around the small room. He falls into his desk chair and keeps laughing, unable to alleviate this amusement can't derive the source of.

His heart beats wildly and for a while, he's excited for the uncertain. Hedwig sits on his desk and watches him as if wondering just what the heck is wrong with her owner sometimes. "Ah," he catches her staring at him. "I can't explain this, dear Hedwig - I haven't felt something this exhilarating in years! What is my motivation you ask?"

She didn't.

"Well, my motivation for this little Christmas excursion is to compile information and data on this Severus Snape. He's interesting, and I can't help wonder why my son targets him," Harry muses to himself, wandering around the room as he divulges his master plan to the confused owl. "With this information I'll build up a more in depth personality analysis. I do like the psychology of other people,"

That's a lie and he knows it. He creates data profiles on others to avoid the uncertainty of them. You can't be unpredictable if your entire personality and characteristics are mapped meticulously in the mind of who you're interacting with. A trick Harry used to deal with Uncle Vernon, lessening his pain by manipulating the man's countenance at any given moment. Knowing how he'll react to certain things, what to do when. Having psychological profiles of those in your life comes in extremely handy.

"And while Severus isn't in my life per se," Harry sighs dramatically, ready to flop down and nap on the closest piece of comfortable furniture like a sunbathing cat. "I can't help but want him to be in my life. The more information I have on him the quicker I can make that happen, and the better I can interact with him. Although his birthday isn't until January, I can't let myself think that way about him let. He isn't legal of course,"

Hedwig hoots quietly and ruffles her feathers at him.

"Sorry, I was rambling. You're dismissed - you can do what you like. Thanks for your postal services," he gives Hedwig a sardonic salute as she flees from his office, his smile falling to a frown. "Damn, I forgot to give her Hermione's letter," he groans.

"Well, hopefully she won't mind a surprise extra guest,"