"No, Mr. Snape, no, please," Trelawney's thin hand shot up in a protective gesture, bracelets jingling. "I'll give you a vow."
"Good. You're probably right, Miss Trelawney," Snape nodded briefly and turned to Harry. "Accept it, I'll seal it. By the way, your glasses—" He turned back and handed her the loss.
The Seer's thin eyebrows flew up. But she only thanked him and immediately started pronouncing the necessary vow words. Snape prompted, clarifying.
Returning to Hogwarts didn't seem simple to any of them—curfew hadn't passed yet. But couldn't wait either—Harry might be missed.
"We had a good time," he was glad at first. But immediately fell silent, catching Snape's surprised look.
"Good we made it. But I'm not sure it's that great. Especially since in a minimum ten minutes you must be in the tower. And this—" Snape surveyed everyone present "—is quite a strange company for returning together."
"Maybe Mr. Potter goes first?" Trelawney suggested. Still quite puzzled, glancing at her own hand holding a sturdy leather leash. On the other end of which...
Oh... Never been a dog owner before. And if you know what kind of "dog" this is... But leaving a person, whoever and whatever he was, to dementors after everything experienced... Good thing Snape still had sedatives left. Without it she'd hardly dare such a thing.
But what happened? Why was Potter hesitating?
"Uh, Professor, I left my bag in your office..."
"Miss Trelawney, please," Snape opened the door before his colleague.
"First—the lady with the little dog," Harry giggled and shushed the bulldog who definitely preferred staying with him.
***
School was already quite empty. Children still ran by of course. But all hurrying to reach their common rooms before curfew. Before she passed through the entrance hall and climbed one floor, she met the caretaker.
Filch froze seeing the Divination professor leading a thin and rather beat-up English bulldog on a leash. And when it seemed the dog winked...
The unfortunate caretaker's mouth dropped. He stepped onto the wrong staircase, riding it far upward. From where soon came only his exclamations. But making out their meaning was impossible. Mrs. Norris wisely dissolved into the half-darkness of the nearest corridor before her master managed to react.
Miss Trelawney, calling herself a painted crow through her teeth, slapped her forehead and threw a Disillusionment over the dog who'd sat from surprise. Weak of course. But it should be enough for her rooms. Roughly turned out that way. She started seeing the dog again near her own classroom.
Sybill crossed her arms and thought, looking at the rope ladder. Yeah. Black couldn't change back. He was under Polyjuice. And why like this? Though... she imagined Filch's reaction if her companion had been that very wolfhound. He'd have screamed much louder. Or run straight to the headmaster complaining. Plus might've stood by the wrong staircase. Well, she could've thrown the same Disillusionment beforehand, right?
And she once again (mentally though this time) cursed herself for not asking Snape about the potion's duration. Though he'd most likely bring another portion himself. If not simply taking the dog.
The bulldog, must give him credit, obeyed like silk. Sat quietly but looked reproachfully. First at the ladder, then at her. Well, she actually understood him. Let Snape drag him to the dungeons himself! Though... she remembered at school they, putting it mildly, didn't particularly get along. And the buttoned-up-tight black Slytherin head with a white beat-up bulldog—that would be something. Everything's right, better her.
Of course she had a personal passage. And she herself never used the student one—climbing ropes, really? But revealing her secret to someone else... However, comparing the doggie's appearance with her own more than modest weight-lifting capabilities, only sighed heavily.
The mutt sighed in unison. Obviously hinting English bulldogs' talents in rope ladder climbing were quite limited. And after everything that happened, she simply had no strength levitating.
"Fine," she addressed the dog, shaking her finger at him. "But not a word about this route to anyone!"
And smiled. The understandingly nodding and butt-wagging English bulldog presented quite an amusing sight.
***
Barely had the door closed behind Trelawney when Snape looked at Harry.
"Now you—run to the common room. Then return under the cloak. Faster, Harry, but try making a detour. You're returning from detention."
Potter nodded understandingly, threw on the cloak and vanished. So they entered together and both headed toward the dungeons. Only when they'd passed all relatively crowded places did Snape pull off Harry's cloak and stuff it in his hands. Then watched the kid sprint full tilt toward Gryffindor tower.
He himself faced a fun evening, night duty and negotiations with Malfoy he couldn't even imagine starting. Though he could hope Miss Trelawney's patience lasted at least a couple days. In that time he'd manage to persuade the aristocrat. But... Mordred! He almost slapped his forehead. The dog needed walking too... Snape quietly groaned and climbed to the bar for remains of Malfoy's gift of seven-year aging. Pulled it out, weighed it in hand and put it back. The head should be absolutely clear. Plus Harry should arrive soon.
***
When gloomy, preoccupied and tired Harry Potter appeared in Gryffindor common room, not only Hermione rushed to him but, strangely enough, Ron and both his brothers and sister.
"Detention with Snape... how?"
"Hermione told us..."
"Are you alive at all?"
"Harry, everything okay?"
He shrugged and sighed so that Hermione's eyes widened.
"That bad?"
"Well..." Harry looked at his friend intently and smiled crookedly at the rest. "Seems fine basically. Just tired. And Snape generally left somewhere. For long."
"And you didn't peek anywhere?"
Oh, twins, twins...
"Am I crazy or something?" he was surprised. "My life hasn't bored me yet, actually."
"Ah... you didn't notice what protects his cabinets?"
"We'd..."
"In your place I'd prefer more pleasant ways to part with this world. Avada Kedavra for example—quick and painless."
Silence reigned in the common room.
"That's what just one day with Snape leads to," Hermione noted philosophically, looking expressively at Harry.
The twins nodded sympathetically. Strangely, silently.
"You... How do you know Unforgivables?" Ron exhaled.
"Um... read it."
"And in what book?"
"We want it too!" The twins immediately revived.
Harry sighed heavily. Seemed he'd have to blame everything on the professor. Nothing else left. Say something about the general library—they'd definitely make him show it.
"Are you complete idiots or what?" Hermione snorted, pouring contempt over all three gingers. Ginny wisely stayed behind her brothers and just listened. "Those three spells were on almost every page in newspapers back then!"
"Harry, you... read newspapers?"
"Well... yeah, of course. Long ago already."
"Why didn't I know?"
"Like you went with us to the library every time we gathered?" Hermione parried. Ron bit his tongue.
Harry thought a bit, imperceptibly winked at Hermione and...
"I'm an idiot!" he yelled, grabbing his head.
"Did Snape finally convince you?" his friend asked.
"Think he was right," Harry groaned quite believably. "I'm a moron. I left my school bag there."
"Harry, you really are a moron. What'd you need a school bag at detention for?"
"What if he'd made me write or solve something?"
"How often did he do that in two years?"
"Well... at least I got homework done for almost the whole week," Harry lied with a straight face.
"Well you... that's... impressive," Ron squeezed out.
"Oh, my grief... We'll go in the morning, you'll get it," Hermione tried calming him but looked at him suspiciously. "Fine, I'm going to sleep. Which I advise you too. After all, we have Transfiguration first lesson! Come on, Ginny!"
And the girls retired to their dorm, leaving disgruntled guys in the common room.
"Bossy," Ron grumbled. But fortunately nothing more. Apparently the Hogsmeade walk plus, most likely, extra portion of butterbeer had tired him too. "Coming, Harry?"
"Ah... yeah, in a sec. You go..." Harry himself didn't know why he'd slowed down, looking at the door. Apparently managed to convince himself how awful dragging to the dungeons for his bag in the morning would be.
"You don't happen to know," he addressed the twins, "Snape has duty tonight, right?"
"Still thinking how to save your stuff?"
Harry made a sad face and nodded.
"Listen, brother Forge..."
"All ears, brother Gred..."
"Our Harry..."
"Needs supporting."
"With something useful to him!"
"Give us an oath you'll never tell anyone what we're about to give you?"
"Of course," this was definitely interesting. "I swear I'll never tell anyone what you're about to give me!"
Well then. But can write and even show, the failed Slytherin thought to himself while Fred (seems like Fred after all) pulled a folded parchment from his breast.
In the next five minutes, Harry learned how the twins got the "Marauder's Map"—this name was beautifully inscribed on the upper edge of a real Hogwarts map where different labeled dots moved. How to enlarge it in the right place and reduce it. And some other very very interesting things.
"We thought here..."
"And I decided this'll definitely help you."
"You... Want to give it to me? Completely? What about yourselves?"
"Well, you'll give us if we ask..."
"Of course! What if I'm somewhere far away when you need it?"
"What are you talking about! Where else besides Hogwarts could this map be useful? And we live in one house. Where will you go from us?"
"What if, for example, I have to go to the Dursleys' for holidays and you—stay?"
"Why would you need the map there with Muggles? Leave it with us."
"What if I forget?"
"Send by owl. Harry, you're somehow strange lately..."
"Detentions with Snape, plus a whole day, my brother..."
"Don't lead to good, exactly!"
"Fine. Go rescue your bag!"
"We'd go with you, only..."
"Too much noise."
After the twins left, nobody remained in the common room besides him. So Harry threw on the invisibility cloak and unfolded the map. Only two dots moved in the corridors—Filch and Professor Snape.
He really has a duty tonight. Outrageous, Harry thought. Waited until the dot named Filch moved to a safe distance. Then glanced at his own dormitory. He didn't even know what he'd planned to see there. But when he saw two labels in the bed next to his: "Ron Weasley" and "Peter Pettigrew," got quite puzzled.
First, Ron had let the rat out of its cage. Second, he did it at night. Why? Plus interesting whether the twins saw this picture—definitely, this could've happened hundreds of times already... He had to show the professor!
Harry closed the map and rushed to the third floor where, if believing what he'd seen, Snape currently was.
***
Soon as the Potions professor took the map in hand, it started calling him names. So Harry opened it himself. And showed what he wanted. The professor, seeing the traitor's name, ground his teeth.
"Go to my office, Harry. You know the password. I'll finish the round."
And tore through corridors like devils chased him.
Harry didn't envy whoever, God forbid, crossed the professor's path. But it seemed the school was quiet.
He ran down to Slytherin dungeons. He noticed some silhouette flashing in the passage to the house common room. Hid, tiptoed past, whispered the password...
He'd been in the office before. So he didn't examine it for long. Threw off the cloak, went into a small niche near the "window" and thought. Either brew tea... or coffee? After all today's twists, he just wanted to sit like summer in Snape's kitchen. So tea. This one with lemon balm. Supposedly calms but doesn't induce sleep. And the owner likes it. Otherwise this herb wouldn't be here. Just right.
***
When Snape returned to himself, a pleasant smell tickled his nostrils from the threshold. And he also remembered something. Summer is pleasant. Inside like a compressed spring released. And what had shaken him so? Knew everything about the rat. But still...
One thing is knowing from words. Another—seeing yourself. So close. How he'd wanted simply grinding the creature to powder! Good thing he wasn't new to keeping his desires in check. And yes, grinding his own teeth to powder wasn't worth it either. But Harry... Where did the kid get such incredible instinct?
First they just drank tea. Both needed a break. Just sit calmly, sipping an aromatic drink. Sigh. Just a minute or two. And only after...
"Five points to Gryffindor for excellent tea," Snape whispered and smiled at beaming Harry.
Who would've thought, Harry Potter could be not only an eternal headache but an excellent sedative. Sometimes.
"Professor, I thought here," something indescribable reflected on the kid's face. Snape tensed. "Aunt Marge... She definitely won't let the doggie out of her hands. I mean, he definitely won't break away from her."
Snape nearly choked on tea. Communication between the mutt and Miss Dursley in summer was... memorable. Harry devised serious punishment for his godfather.
"What about Polyjuice?"
"I can tell Aunt it's necessary medicine."
"Think she'll so easily agree to giving the dog a substance unknown to her?"
"What if you help?"
Snape shrugged.
"Won't use Unforgivables."
"What did you say about an acquaintance?"
Snape sighed. Could persuade Malfoy. But explaining everything—risked Sirius, himself, and Harry. Though... Wonder what relationship Narcissa had with her cousin? Or try playing blind?
They discussed different options. Then invented several ways of catching Pettigrew. Where the main difficulty was doing it before everyone's eyes but so nobody noticed them. And now Harry started nodding off. Unsurprising. The whole day in tense anticipation. And after—nothing to say. Enough shocks today even for him, an adult and fairly hardened-to-trouble person. But the kid stirred and stared at Snape like deciding whether to say something else or not.
"Well?"
"Plus," Harry blushed and confessed, "I had to lie here... in the common room. A lot."
"So everyone heard. And to whom was the lying addressed and what did it consist of?"
"That I read about Unforgivables in newspapers. True, that wasn't me, Hermione thought of it," Harry rushed slightly. Snape nodded approvingly. "Plus that I did homework for the whole next week... Can I work here till morning?"
"So that's why you dragged a full bag here."
Snape understood perfectly that Harry was hardly a student right now. Give him some stimulants? No... Not the best substances for a teenager. Especially in such conditions. And special children's compositions he somehow hadn't acquired yet. He had to fix that. He opened the farthest cabinet from the window and bent to the lower shelf.
When the professor commanded, "Accio Slytherin work from the last week of November and first week of December last year!" then nearly buried him under a pile of scrolls, Harry swelled up slightly. Lost his eloquence temporarily for sure.
"This is for me? Really? I mean... Can I?.. Copy?" With the last syllable Harry's jaw involuntarily dropped. The word came out slurred.
"Can choose a couple works and write your own based on them. But don't count on this becoming practice," Snape frowned. "And you'll work it all off. Because this month you'll be punished. Must report to me starting tomorrow at half past five daily."
"Awesome!" Harry jumped, immediately waking. "So I'll say you caught me when I went for my bag and I can..." Not finishing, he spread a smile.
Could go to the professor completely openly every day. Yes! Especially since they had so many questions, so much to do. How well everything worked out!
"Consider I'm doing this exclusively because for normal learning you need to sleep fully."
"Only when absolutely necessary, like today," Harry nodded, smiling but quickly got serious. "Honestly, better if this didn't happen again."
"Rewrite in your own words, I'll check," Snape rose from the desk, levitating his cup to the false window's sill.
"I already... You what... You have nothing to do or what?" Harry even got confused. Why check him?
"Oh, I recognize rude-Potter. More like that."
"But," Harry's eyebrows rose in the house, "your time... I feel sorry for it!"
"Work. At your disposal," Snape surveyed the scrolls, evaluating volume, "an hour and a half."
"Thank you, Professor," Harry wanted to apologize just in case. But Snape had already evaporated.
Right, he still has to patrol the school. Probably why he's angry. He seems generally iron, Harry thought and yawned widely, grabbing the nearest scroll. What's here? Whoa... Potions! Exactly what the professor assigned! And in that scroll? Charms... He sorted through the homework pile, checking topics and dates. Whoa, almost all subjects here! Except History. Imagining his friends' reaction—or anyone else's—if someone learned what Snape gave him, Harry giggled. Then grabbed his quill.
***
When Snape returned, his charge snored among scrolls, forehead planted in a Transfiguration reference. Still took books too... good job.
Snape carefully lifted soundly sleeping Harry in his arms and stepped toward the sofa. The kid suddenly hugged, buried into his neck and mumbled:
"Mum..."
Snape almost dropped him. Legs buckled. The professor with his burden on reflexes alone and willpower remnants made an impossible pirouette, landing back-first on the sofa. Harry pressed him from the side and slightly above, hugging and snoring somewhere into his armpit. And the professor forgot how to breathe.
Mum... If it were "father" or "dad," maybe he could've survived... Mum... Longing for the closest person, most loved... Merlin, why?! Heart pounded like crazy. Finally he raggedly inhaled and breathed rapidly, waking the boy.
"Oh... Sorry, Professor," he got embarrassed, removing his hand from his chest. "Did I fall asleep? Should..."
A heavy sigh testified he'd thought: time leaving.
Should send him to sleep. To the tower. And better escort. But Snape did what he didn't expect from himself. Brought a pillow, blanket and gave them into sleepy and puzzled Potter's hands.
Green eyes looked surprised.
"Something happened, Professor?"
Harry felt his confusion, of course... Snape bolted from the sitting room.
When he returned, Harry already sat rubbing his face—trying waking up.
"Here, drink," a small vial landed in the boy's hand. "You'll fall asleep quickly and sleep enough in a couple-three hours. And I need walking through school again."
Harry nodded and drank. Praise Merlin, without asking extra questions.
His hand itself pulled to carefully run across the forehead and slightly ruffle the already-standing-up black hair. The kid, already falling asleep, smiled so brightly and happily something squeezed inside.
No, this is impossible. I need to go to Filius because this... this...
What "this" meant, Snape never managed to formulate. But for patrol took his student's cloak. In a place free from all portraits and generally paintings, threw it on and headed to Ravenclaw tower.
***
Flitwick, in an old-fashioned shirt, warm robe and nightcap, definitely didn't look pleased. And that Snape was agitated yet hurrying nowhere except to him didn't escape the half-goblin.
"And what urgent thing happened to you?" he asked with some testiness, dreaming of sending off the "dear student." But already understanding it wouldn't work...
"I'm Harry Potter's 'mum.'"
"What?" Flitwick squeaked and stepped back, releasing the door. "What did you say?"
"Wasn't I who said it," Snape sighed. "It was Harry."
"Tell me," the half-goblin drawled, simultaneously taking up tea preparation. It seemed the conversation would be not the simplest and definitely not short.
And Severus told.
He didn't notice when a tea cup appeared in his hand. Inhaled light lemon aroma, sipped and only then understood how his throat had dried. No, he shouldn't allow himself such emotions. So many emotions.
"Shouldn't but can," the Teacher picked up his thoughts. "Actually there are pluses and minuses here."
Flitwick unhurriedly sipped tea. Severus waited.
"You got another outlet besides me. Which is actually very good. Like a fulcrum. Wouldn't hurt having another. But this is already a step forward. But on the other hand, you got an Achilles heel. You became vulnerable—through Harry. Because if something happens to him... you'll go at the former Master with bare hands. Simply because you can't do otherwise."
Severus almost protested. But Flitwick patted his shoulder:
"I'm speaking figuratively, you understand. But will you go?"
He sighed and nodded in agreement.
"And overall, Teacher is both dad and mum in one bottle. So get used to it."
"Suggest I grow something else... for complete resemblance. With mum," Snape pronounced with clearly mocking intonation.
"Well... that's already better. Welcome back, Severus," Flitwick saluted him with a tea cup. "And still, it was just a dream. I think the boy dreamed of his mother. Feeling you nearby, simply mumbled that word. After all, he has no adults closer than you. But he wasn't addressing you. Though... Should I repeat about Teacher?"
"But why me? I'm generally a little capable of feelings, especially warm ones... Why not you, Filius? You're softer, kinder..."
"Because he needs the human soul's warmth," Flitwick smiled humorlessly. "Goblins don't produce such. Can't. Even if they're only half goblin."
"Your half-goblin sensitivity and tact—anyone can only be amazed!" Severus protested. "I know that for sure."
Flitwick smiled.
"You were already an adult then. Maybe a youth, completely green. But already life-beaten. Most importantly, standing on your own feet. You'd already lived alone for over a year in your house. Prepared for school. Earned something, if small. But you coped. And Harry's still only thirteen. Were he older, everything would be completely different. Now he needs an adult capable of not only teaching, correcting, pulling back, but sharing normal human warmth. Patting the shoulder. Hugging. Of us two, he then unerringly chose you. Despite your 'bad cop' role. Ignoring two years of your, putting it mildly, 'not working out' relationship. You and he have lots in common, Severus. Very much."
"I know. But I'm not going to baby him if only because I simply can't."
"And don't. He just needs your shoulder he could bury into at least sometimes. Though... I'd watch if you decided to practice."
Severus started protesting. But the Teacher stopped him with a gesture.
"Important to understand if something happens to Harry, God forbid, you'll simply burn out. From the vow, from the Mark... what difference. But forewarned is forearmed. We know how things stand. Others—don't. And let it stay that way as long as possible. And go to sleep already. Or is there more to tell?"
Reporting everything that happened during the evening took surprisingly little time. But two options for Black's future were the questions both wanted solving.
"Using Malfoy would be ideal of course. But risky. Including for himself. But Muggles... Tomorrow evening I'll drop by for, say, Wit-Sharpening. I have several projects lacking time. Will finish one of them. When's Harry's detention? Six? And go to sleep already. I'll do the last patrol for you. No sleep in either eye anyway. Besides, I will think."