snape and skull

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arry tried his best, but Severus was adamant—there was no reason Harry should miss class tomorrow unless he was deathly ill or magically drained and needed rest. Getting adopted was not on the list and so Harry found himself awoken at seven in the morning to take a shower and get dressed by a very cheery and annoying raven.
"

Gah!" he groaned and turned over, burying his face in the pillow. "Skull, go haunt someone else, I'm still sleepy!"
"Now don't sulk, bran-boy! Time to get up and don't make me call Sev in here," Skull cackled, sitting on the headboard. "Don't you know what he does to students who are late risers? Didn't Malfoy ever tell you?"
"No, but I'm sure you will," Harry grumped, trying to fall back to sleep and failing miserably. He had been dreaming of something pleasant, and now the dream was lost.
"He throws a very large, very cold, very full bucket of water on them and yells in a voice fit to wake the dead to get up right now, or else!" Here the raven imitated his wizard's voice so well Harry could have sworn the Potions Master was right beside him. "Do you want that to happen to you?"
Harry opened one eye crossly. No, he didn't. No way in hell. "Okay, bird. I'm up!" He rolled over and made himself leave the cozy nest of blankets. He really wished he could just sleep in today, but fat chance of that! He thought, only for a moment, of having Mr. Weasley for a father instead of Snape, but just as quickly the thought vanished. He knew Severus Snape cared for him deeply, and only him, while Arthur was more like a friend—or a friend's father, good for laughs and advice, but not important things. Which apparently included school. Then again, who was to say Arthur was any different than Severus when it came to getting kids ready for school in the morning?
It could be worse, Harry thought, yawning as he walked to the bathroom. I could be woken up by Mad Marlene and her bloody ruler, ugh! He did not regret that woman's death in the slightest, and he absently rubbed the non-existent sting from his bottom as he entered the bathroom. Or Aunt Petunia. He didn't miss the Dursleys at all either, though he did wonder who was going to explain to them that he wouldn't be going home there ever again once term ended. Would Dumbledore do it? McGonagall? Or maybe Severus himself?
Imagining their faces made Harry happy and he took a quick shower with hot water and emerged still smiling. Then he recalled he had finals today and the smile erased itself. He dressed in his uniform and robe, leaving the tie for Severus to do because he was too lazy to struggle with it this morning.
When he emerged from the bathroom, steam still clinging to his glasses, Severus met him, dressed in his usual black teaching robes.
"Good. You're awake. Would you like to eat here or in the hall with your friends this morning?"
"Uh . . . in the hall, I guess." Harry mumbled. "Got a lot to talk about."
"I'm sure you do," Severus nodded. He knew of one person who would not be happy with last night's events. "Come here. Let me fix your tie."
After fixing his son's clothing and running a comb through his hair over the boy's protests that he liked his hair that way, Severus sat down to read the paper before going up to the hall for ten minutes. He drank a cup of tea and gave one to Harry as well. He eyed the boy as Harry put in four sugar lumps and stirred. "Are you going to have tea or just eat the sugar bowl?"
"I like sugar in my tea."
"Humph! How you haven't died of diabetes by now is a miracle."
"Dudley used the whole bowl," Harry defended.
Severus rolled his eyes. "Merlin forfend! Go easy on the sweets, Harry, or else you'll end up with digestive issues, at the least."
Harry sipped his tea, then said, "How come Dumbledore eats sweets and never has a problem?"
"Who says he doesn't?" snorted the professor. "You aren't the one brewing Stomach Remedies at twelve midnight for him."
Harry set the cup down. "Really, Dad?"
"Oh, yes. Trust me on that. Now finish your tea and we'll go up to the hall."

Page~*~*~*~Break
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arry found Ron, Neville, and Hermione also yawning broadly when he came up to the Gryffindor table. He waved at Draco across the way, who was studying something and barely acknowledged him, until he said, "Hey, guys, guess what happened last night?"
"Your ghostly mentor taught you some spells they use in America," Ron guessed.
"Nope. Ghost performed a ceremony for me and Professor Snape."
"What sort of ceremony?" asked Hermione.
"The kind where you call on the spirits of the dead to witness something."
"Spirits of the dead?" Neville squeaked.
"He summoned up spirits?" Draco was suddenly at Harry's elbow, listening intently. "That's dark magic."
"Only if you're trying to compel them. Ghost wasn't. He called up the spirits of my parents—"
"He called up Lily and James? And they answered?" Hermione interrupted.
"Yes!" Harry snapped a little. "He is a shaman, after all, and part of that is talking to the spirit world. Anyway he called up my parents to witness something very special . . . my adoption."
Draco's mouth came unhinged. "Adoption? Like in . . . Snape adopted you? Officially?"
Ron was half-grinning like the village idiot, and he clapped his hand on Harry's back. "That's great, mate! Now you don't have to live with those crappy relatives of yours."
"I know," Harry began.
"Oh, Harry! You're so lucky, you have a professor for a father and can get all the latest books and curriculum notes," Hermione rhapsodized, her eyes full of longing.
Harry choked on his ham and eggs. "Hermione, Godsake! Don't remind me." While he loved books and didn't mind studying, he did mind Severus hovering over him like some disapproving bat.
Neville was looking shocked and uncertain, as if he didn't know whether to offer congratulations or commiseration. "Well . . . that's good, Harry. If you want it that way."
"I do. I'd rather scrub Snape's dungeon forty times than go back and weed Aunt Petunia's garden and get locked up again for not finishing my chores."
"They locked you up?" Draco repeated, looking indignant. "For slaving over them like a house elf?"
"For not finishing my list of chores. Which were as long as my arm," Harry corrected.
"That's stupid!" Hermione cried.
"Unfair gits!" Ron added.
"That's cruel and unusual punishment," Neville stated.
"What is?" asked George, "Being made to take end of term exams?"
"No, having Snape for his father!" called Craven, braying loudly at his own wit.
Harry stood up, flushing. He knew he was drawing unwanted attention, but he didn't care. "You shut your gob right now, Craven!" he growled. He'd be damned if this would go the way the guardianship had. "You have no room to talk, so quit flapping your jaw. Whether Professor Snape adopted me or not is my business, so but out!"
"Is it true?" called a girl down the row. The whole table was abuzz now.
Harry's chin jutted out. "And if it is? You all going to turn on me again?"
There were several ashamed whispers and muttering, and a few Gryffindors refused to meet his gaze.
"Only a traitor would allow a Slytherin dark wizard to adopt him!" Craven sneered.
"My father's no traitor!" Harry yelled, fists clenching. He so wanted to punch Craven's teeth out, but Severus' training and Ghost's as well on keeping his temper made him be still. "Or a dark wizard!"
"Got that right, Potter!" Draco agreed. "Craven's a big ass!"
"You watch yourself, Malfoy, before I hang you up by your balls on the Astronomy Tower!" Craven threatened nastily.
"Craven! You've got no call to threaten a firstie that way!" Percy objected.
Before anyone else could intervene, a soft feminine voice said, "My, my. Such manners! Someone needs their dirty mouth washed out with soap. And a scrub brush!"
All eyes glanced up to see Shriek circling overhead, her ivory colored body almost blending in with the ceiling.
Craven flushed and growled, "Blow it out your arse, you mangy thing! As if I'd take advice from the likes of you."
Several students gasped at the way he was speaking to a sacred raven. Shriek flipped her tail at him insolently and squawked, "It's your funeral, punkin',"
Craven yelled as bird dung spattered all over his head. "Eeew! Yuck! You—you shat on me!" He shook his fist at the raven.
"Oops . . . must have mistaken you for a lump on a log," Shriek cooed. "The resemblance is rather strong."
By now the Gryffindors and Slytherins were snickering.
"She's as good as Skull!" exclaimed Fred.
Shriek landed on the table and bowed. "Glad to be of service, sirs. Putting nasty little rats in their place is my specialty."
When Craven would have lunged at the bird, Percy shoved him back in his seat. "Go clean up, you! You're lucky the bird didn't peck your eyes out, Craven. You ought to know better than to insult a raven. Or Professor Snape that way."
With so many disapproving and giggling glances being shot his way, Craven hurriedly left his seat and ran from the room. The laughter followed.
Harry sat down and continued eating. Everyone was quiet. Then he looked at Shriek and said, "Thanks, Shriek."
"Don't mention it, Harry," the raven trilled. "That one's getting too big for his britches there and needs a good hiding."
"He needs what?" asked a girl with blond hair.
Shriek turned to her. "That's American for a kid who needs to be spanked bloody good and hard," she said, affecting an upper crust British accent.
"With my mum's spoon," Percy smirked. "You're all right, bird."
"You're okay too," the raven responded cheekily. Then she flew back over to where Ghost was seated with the rest of the teachers, her duty done for the day.
Behind her, several students cheered and clapped. Hermione said, "I wish she could stay here, she's like a female Skull, only prettier."
Harry chuckled. "She's even more impudent than he is, according to Ghost."
"I find that hard to believe," Draco said. "Skull is impudence personified. I don't know how he's survived this long with the professor."
"He's a raven familiar," Neville said. "They know how to treat their wizards."
"Poor Professor Snape!" Ron said, laughing.
"No, lucky Professor Snape," Harry corrected quietly. "I love my owl, but I wish I could have a raven for a familiar someday."
"Maybe you will. The raven chooses, you know," Draco said.
Harry nodded and finished eating. But why would a raven choose me?