Severus Snape: OneShots

(7) Uncle Severus

For quite a while, Harry stood in front of Teddy's bedroom raising and lowering a fist ready to knock. He felt like a school boy headed to detention in the dungeons.

That morning, Ginny had woken up as practical and cheerful as ever, and had found a way to work Snape into the day's plans. Harry still felt some lingering guilt about keeping Snape a secret, but his wife seemed intent on going about things as usual and moving on. She did however, task him with actually with waking Snape. Fair, he supposed.

Harry sighed.

Whatever way he entered the room would most likely elicit the same sardonic response and raised eyebrow from Snape.

He decided to forgo knocking altogether and stick his head in-like ripping a muggle bandage off.

"Hey there."

Severus contemplated whether he should play dead when Harry's head full of unruly hair popped in the bedroom door. After some time, he issued a small grunt to break the thick morning silence.

At this, Harry slid his slender frame through the door and proceeded to fidget in front of Snape's bed.

"Erm," Harry cleared his throat and rocked slightly on the balls of his feet, fists clenched in his trouser pockets. "So, today, you are going to spend some time at the Burrow. Ginny is on assignment in Ballycastle, and I'll be out as well, so there won't be anyone here in case something happens."

He rifled a hand through his hair, making it even messier than usual, after finishing the rushed string of words.

Snape slowly raised his eyelids and glared at Harry through a curtain of greasy black hair.

A day being babysat by Molly Weasley. Severus couldn't quite believe the Potters had come up with a way to raise the stakes on his embarrassment.

"Please," Harry said, before Snape had a chance to clear his throat. "I promise that we'll work out a better way to handle all this," he waved his hand toward the wheelchair, "I'll actually be working on that today. Honestly, I don't want to make this more, er..." he frowned, a small line appearing between his eyebrows. "Odd. I just need today to figure things out. Molly will make sure things are comfortable. We've already owled her."

Harry's face had a strained and desperate look that somehow reminded him of last night's awful dreams. He didn't have the energy to fight Potter on the subject.

In all honesty, he may have actually bit relieved for a chance escape from the teenage boy photo collage for a few hours.

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"Did you read the part about how he created that potion..."

"The one that makes the drinker smell like the thing whoever around them hates most?"

"Exactly!"

Al and Scorpius whispered excitedly over their potion; potions Professor Kenza watched the classroom warily over a pair of combat boot-clad legs dangled over the drafting table in front of the room.

"And," began Albus, "the spell that..."

"Turns people upside-down in the air ?" Scorpuis flashed exuberant grin at Al. "Amazing!"

Since the previous evening, the boys had been devouring the sparse information to be found about Severus Snape in the Hogwarts library. Scorpius actually knew quite a bit more than Al, and even had a handful of stories passed down from his father.

Together, they were able to string together a bit more information from various books-somehow, the lack of information seemed only had the affect of making Snape seem more mysterious and impressive.

"Hey Al," Scorpius said as he squinted through a faint steam coming from their cauldron, "was it three or four or five mistletoe berries?"

"I think it was four," Al said, trying to keep track of his stirs. "Oi, wouldn't it be brilliant if Severus Snape was our potions master? Not that Kenza is awful," the boys lifted their eyes to the drafting table. Where Professor Kenza was swinging her legs over the table. She stretched out of her seat and leaned against the table as she addressed the classroom.

"Okay friends," she yawned. "Time to bottle up those forgetfulness potions. Remember to keep the stoppers in tight enough, we don't want a repeat of last week's sleeping drought disaster."

She gave a sympathetic smirk to a rather sheepish looking Hufflepuff whose face had gone pink.

"Till next time kids," she said casually before departing surprisingly daintily for a woman in such big boots.

Al and Scorpius carefully poured and sealed a bottle of their potion.

"Yeah, she's cool. But, we would probably be learning some really advanced stuff already," said Scorpius.

The boys continued imagining life in Snape's potions classroom as they made their through the dungeons.

"So," Scorpius began when they reached the common room's entrance. "We have a few hours before charms, were you, uh, thinking of writing that letter to your parents?" He punctuated the question with a nervous cringe.

Al rolled his eyes and leaned up to a the thick stone wall "Parseltongue," he whispered, causing it to shift aside. "Wish I didn't tell you about that."

His body crumpled into one of the green velvet couches and he pushed a head of long, messy black hair back with two hands.

"I know its a pain, mate," Malfoy said. "But you have to tell them sooner or later. I'll even help if you want."

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By the time Ginny, Lily and a wheelchair-bound Severus made it to the Burrow by portkey, Hermione and Hugo were already there waiting for them.

"Hi Uncle Severus!" Hugo yelled at Snape when the family said their good-mornings, demonstrating a disturbing amount of energy for the hour of the day.

"Oh, how nice, it seems like you're already settling in," said Molly Weasley with tentative enthusiasm. "Uncle!"

Severus ignored the comment. "Pleasure to see you, Molly," he said, and tried to produce a sincere smile. He never had developed a knack for them.

She smiled back, so he assumed it had been somewhat of a success.

"What an ordeal, Severus. It must be so strange," she said, shaking her head. While getting behind the chair to push him into the kitchen behind the rest, she asked, "Are you hungry?"

Smells of sausage, toast and eggs hit Severus' nose, and he realized that he was actually quite hungry.

Molly began loading up a plate with food while Ginny, Hermione, and the kids settled around the table. Everyone appeared plagued with a certain stiffness in Severus' presence.

"I'm sorry I can't stay long. The minister needs me to do his job again," said Hermione while pouring a cup of of coffee.

"Where is he this time?" asked Ginny.

"Majorca. Where all the most important issues in British wizarding are hiding," she said, voice laced with judgement. Severus could sense some thinly veiled pride in the fact that she had to take on the work. Always was a bit of a know-it-all.

"Try not to get to stressed dear," Molly told Hermione as she set the plate in front of Severus.

"Thank you," he said in a soft voice, trying to become as invisible as possible, even though he knew that his dark form in the bright, sunny kitchen made this ridiculous endeavor. Severus felt his moth water as he looked at the food and prayed that his neck wouldn't embarrass him again. He took careful, small, bites to avoid a scene.

Ginny took a large bite of toast and glanced at her watch, "Oh," she said, pausing to swallow, "I've got to be off too. Ballycastle fans are a beast to get through. Could take hours. Bye Mum, thanks for the food!"

She and Hermione got up to give Molly and the kids quick hugs. They both uttered awkward goodbyes to Severus as before they stepped into the fireplace to floo into the Ministry.

Lily and Hugo waved animatedly as the blue flames swirled about.