Severus Snape was in his potions lab experimenting with a new potion he had collaborated on with a peer. They were planning on using venom from a basilisk to create a cure for the Muggle disease Cancer. The other potioneer, Wayne Ramsey, a Potions Master in the States that Severus had studied for his Masters with, felt confident that his research on the disease, combined with Severus' potioneer skills and supply of the venom could create a cure that would eradicate the disease all together.
'Cancer is caused when cells divide uncontrollably and spread into surrounding tissues. Imagine if we could alter the venom to target and kill only those cancerous cells. Once the cells were eradicated then it would just be a matter of fixing damage already caused by the cells. It would be a miracle Severus.'
Severus thought that if they were able to create the potion then the only problem remaining would be to find more basilisk venom for future batches. Though the one basilisk Potter had given him, and refused to liquify in to his own assets, held enough potion for many, many, failed batches and hundreds of successful ones- it would eventually run out and they would be back at square one.
And Severus certainly would not count on Potter encountering another sixty foot long basilisk to procure more.
Severus supposed that was a bridge they would cross if the potion was even successful. Creating a mixture that would alter the venom to target specific human cells without creating a mixture that was toxic on its own was proving to be quite a challenge. But Severus was nothing if not determined.
CRASH!
Severus sighed. Determined, yet his creative muses were undeniably being held hostage by his soon-to-be teenaged ward.
"Harry," he called as he left his lab in search of the demon. "Are you alright?"
"Fine! You don't need to come in here!" Potter called back quickly.
Which Severus knew meant he absolutely needed to go to the kitchen, where it sounded as if Potter currently was. He stepped in the doorway and stopped at the mess in front of him.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing child?" he demanded. Every counter in their kitchen was covered in baking sheets, batter, and an outrageous amount of flour. Potter himself had what looked like chocolate batter down the front of his shirt and was currently attempting to mop up more of it by hand.
"I said you didn't need to come in," Potter huffed, standing up and stepping backwards in to what Severus is relatively confident is egg yolk.
"That is not an answer," Severus said tightly. "Where is Mavis?"
"Dunno," Potter said airily as he rinsed the washcloth off in the sink. "Told him I wanted to try baking, didn't I? He got mad at me and stomped off. Probably cleaning the bathroom again."
Severus took a deep breath and counted to ten very slowly in his mind. He reminded himself that so far Potter had been an ideal housemate. He was polite, respected Severus' privacy, kept his floo calls quiet, informed Severus where he was going before he left the house, and was usually quiet.
"Why are you baking?" he asked when he felt much less irritated with the boy.
"I'm practicing," Potter smiled. "Neville's birthday is in a month, right? So I thought 'hey Harry you should do something wicked because Neville is wicked'. But I couldn't think of anything until Mavis was making muffins this morning and BAM!" Potter clapped his hands together, apparently for dramatic effect. "I knew I should make him a cake. It would mean way more coming from me than Mavis, right? Because I'm Neville's friend. Yeah?"
Severus gaped at Potter as he beamed up at him after his rant. This was perhaps the most Potter has said the entire summer so far. The fact that he said it all so quickly Severus could barely understand him just added to Severus' current surprise.
"How much sugar have you eaten?" he asked. A Potter hopped up on sweets would likely be a problem. Severus glanced around their destroyed kitchen and corrected himself, more of a problem.
"None," Potter laughed. "Just a good day, isn't it sir?"
"Severus," he corrected him. He'd been trying for the last two weeks since their return to Spinners End for Potter to refer to him as Severus in their home. Of course, he'd also been trying to get Potter to decorate his room, as he had the rest of the house, with no progress being made there either.
He stared suspiciously at Potter and tried to pin down the child's current mood. Potter had been visibly on edge the first couple of days of the holidays and had been less so once Severus outlined clear rules expectations of him.
~~
"Harry I would like to talk to you about something," he'd said during dinner on their second night home.
Potter tensed up immediately and glanced behind himself towards the kitchen door.
"Okaaay," he said slowly. "Talk about what?"
Severus ignored Potter's obvious anxiety and kept his tone conversational.
"I believe living together will be much easier on you if we have some sort of rules established."
Potter crossed his arms, tucking his fists underneath them, and Severus saw how tightly coiled his muscles now were.
"What kind of rules?" he asked, his jaw clenching with agitation.
Severus hesitated, "Perhaps rules is not the right word to use here. I simply believe we should have some expectations for each other during the holidays."
When he saw Potter relax slightly he patted himself on the back for, once again, correctly identifying the child's source of anxiety.
"Okay, what 'expectations'?"
Severus thought for a moment of reasonable requests to make of a pubescent boy who had been independent his entire life.
"Firstly, I would appreciate it if you informed me before you left the house," he said carefully. "You are free to floo to your friends homes, and I would be happy to side-along you if you would rather. I would likely become stressed if you were abruptly missing from our home with no prior explanation. I will of course give you the same courtesy."
Potter relaxed more, uncrossing his arms.
"I can go see my friends?" he said hesitantly. "Whenever I want?"
"Of course," Severus assured him. "You are not a prisoner in our home. You are welcome to go wherever you please, within reason. I would simply like you to inform me first, is that acceptable?"
"Yeah," Potter nodded happily. "That's acceptable."
Severus could not wait to inform Narcissa of how easy handling his new ward was.
"I would also like you to complete your summer homework, perhaps allowing me to look it over once you are finished? And..." Severus tried to think of any other rul- expectations that he would like to make clear. "And do not enter my potions lab without implicit permission directly beforehand, as I typically have unstable potions brewing that can react volatility to the slightest disturbance."
Potter was nodding along eagerly.
"And I will give you the same privacy that I would appreciate- we could agree to not enter each other's private bedrooms without permission?" He suddenly remembered Potter's commonly occurring nightmares, anxiety, rages, and panic attacks. "Unless the owner of the bedroom is in distress," he tacked on hastily.
"Sounds brill," Potter said. "So can I go to Ron's to play quidditch tomorrow, sir? He said he's leaving next week on a trip to Egypt so if I don't go now then I might not get to go at all."
"You do not require permission," Severus stressed. He himself had been an independent teenager, both by necessity and through personal choice, and he did not want Potter to see Severus as someone who was attempting to restrict his movements. "You may just inform me, preferably the night before if you have that much notice, and as long as you are not traveling to bars or some other place you do not belong- I will simply say 'be safe, see you when you return'."
Potter hesitated, his eyes tracking Severus' movements nervously, as if worried that this was somehow a trick.
"I'm going to Ron's tomorrow," he all but whispered, watching Severus' hands through his eyelashes. "We aren't going to a bar, we're going to play quidditch with the twins at his house."
"Be safe, I shall see you when you return," Severus had said calmly before taking a sip of his water.
~~~
Since Potter returned from the Weasley home, his cheeks red and his hair in complete disarray, and saw that there was nothing awaiting him aside from Severus asking about his day, he had relaxed completely in his presence. Though, he had never been quite this... perky.
"Why're you looking at me like that?" Potter laughed. "I bought a cookbook." He gestured to the mess in the room, "This will all be edible when I'm done. Maybe." Potter laughed again and Severus attempted to quit staring at him so warily.
If Potter was relaxed enough here to make an outrageous mess and ramble about baking, why should Severus complain? It was a good sign. It meant that Potter was trusting him and acting more his age than he typically did.
"Very well," Severus said slowly. "Although, you apparently need reminded that you are a wizard." He sent a pointed look at the washcloth in Potter's hand.
"Oh yeah," Potter laughed again. He scrunched his nose up and then smiled at Severus as the mess on the floor disappeared. "Ta da!" he cried. "Magic!"
Severus slowly backed out of the kitchen doorway. Potter was a menace when he was in a mood and apparently a menace when he wasn't. He wondered if Lucius would trade him teenagers for a few days. Surely Draco was much simpler to handle than Potter is.
"I will be in my lab," he called.
"I'll bring you a cupcake when they're done! I'm gonna make raspberry, they're your favorite, right?"
Severus sighed and lightly tapped his head on the wall.
"Thank you Harry."
No, he would not trade Potter for Draco. He doubted whether Draco, in thirteen years of spending time together, had ever noticed his preference in pastry flavors.
Potter was a menace, but Severus was quite fond of the brat.
Severus rose quite early the next morning, eager to use the extra time reading through old
potions manuals, research for his current experiments. He quietly crept past Potter's closed door and made his way to the kitchen. He checked the time and saw that it was barely five am, he would have at least two hours to work before attending breakfast with Potter.
Severus made himself a cappuccino, thankful again for Potter's ridiculous purchase as they have both become accustomed to the convenience in the last few weeks. He sat at the table, enjoying the tranquility of the morning. The few hours before sunrise were Severus' favorite. It was dark, soothing, and promised an entire day with the possibility of peace.
He summoned his books with a lazy flick of his wand and slowly worked through the more recent ones, making notes as he went.
He was midway through a promising chapter on mutating blood cells with a modified transfiguration base potion when Potter came bursting through the back door.
"You're awake!" Potter said, surprised.
Severus checked the time and was startled to see that it was already a quarter past seven. He tasted his cappuccino and was disgusted to discover that the drink was now cold.
"I am," he said, turning back to Potter. "As are you, apparently." Potter cheeks were flushed and he clutched his broomstick in his hand. "I didn't hear you go out, have you been flying long?"
Potter shrugged, moving to the counter to make himself a drink.
"Been flying for a while," he said cheerily. "I'm not sure what time I went out."
Severus watched him skeptically. He had risen at five, and he was sure that, no matter how immersed in his research he had been, he would have heard Potter leave the house.
"Is it not difficult to fly in the dark?" Severus asked, keeping his tone light as he tried to ascertain how long Potter had been outside.
"A bit," Potter said, sitting across from him with his mug. "But I'm trying to come up with a way to make myself see in the dark! Listen, I thought of it last night. Luna said that a lot of animals can see at night, she calls them nocturnal, isn't that brill? And so I figured if we can transfigure cat ears on to people then why can't I transfigured my eyes in to ones more like an animal, right? So while I was flying I just focused real hard on making myself see in the dark, but it hasn't worked yet." Potter held his arm up to show Severus a shallow scrape running down his forearm. "See?" he said, barely taking a breath. "I'm still flying in to tree branches!"
Severus took in Potter's flushed cheeks, his excited eyes, and his bright smile.
"Are you feeling alright?" he asked slowly. "You must not have slept much if you were out flying before I had even risen."
Potter waved his hand dismissively before taking a deep drink out of his mug.
"'Feelings'," he scoffed. "Just couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about all the stuff I want to do today and I figured I might as well get started."
"And one of the things on your incredibly important to-do list was attempting to perform dangerous, and untested, magic on yourself while fifty feet in the air?" Severus asked drily.
"Yep."
Severus slowly counted to ten as he stared incredulously at Potter, who was calmly sipping his drink.
"That is incredibly dangerous," he said. "Attempting human transfiguration alone is dangerous enough, doing it in the air, on a broomstick, borders suicidal."
Potter laughed at that.
"I'm not trying to kill myself," he said mockingly, as if it were not a constant fear of Severus' since a mere six months ago. "I just had the idea and wanted to try it out."
Severus was interrupted from finding a way to scold Potter, without causing him to recede from his cheerful mood, by the arrival of a darkly muttering Mavis.
"Oh, is Master Potter not making himself breakfast?" Mavis said, with his eyes wide. "Mavis thought since Master doesn't trust him to make his friend a cake that maybe Master doesn't trust Mavis to make breakfast either."
"Dramatic," Potter mumbled. "I told you I was sorry!" he said in a clearer voice. "I just had the idea yesterday and needed to try it out. I'm sure you're a much better baker than I am."
Mavis huffed and started loudly pulling pans out of cabinets.
"Of course Mavis is a better baker. Mavis is an elf and Master is a madman." He glared over his shoulder at Potter and added, "A madman who needs to be eating breakfast."
"Can't." Potter jumped to his feet and put his mug in the sink before grabbing his broom. "I need to get a shower, I stink."
"You should eat something," said Severus.
"I will, after I get a shower."
Severus watched as Potter practically skipped out of the kitchen.
"Master is having no appreciation for Mavis," the elf muttered.
Severus sighed and grabbed his stack of books; he would clearly get more work done in his lab this morning.
"Mister Snoop is not eating breakfast from Mavis either because Mister Snoop is a bad influence on Master!" Mavis shouted as Severus snuck away.
Severus was fond of Potter, and Merlin knows that Mavis makes his life much easier, but Severus remembers summers spent in absolute silence where he was able to work for days at a time, uninterrupted, and feels a faint twinge of annoyance knowing those days are over.
He got set up in his lab, his research books stacked nicely when he was interrupted again by Potter knocking on his door.
"Enter."
"Hello again," Potter smiled, his hair soaking wet from his shower. "Just wanted to tell you I'm going to Diagon Alley to meet up with Susan."
"Thank you," Severus said. "I will see you when you return, be safe."
"I'll do my best," Potter laughed, closing the door behind him gently.
Severus shook his head at Potter's newfound sunny disposition. Perhaps if he remains in this mood they may actually have a peaceful, if slightly irksome, summer together.
Severus spent the morning, and most of the afternoon, locked in his lab working on the background research required for a potion this complex. He took a short break around noon to grab a quick lunch. A still angry Mavis informed him that Potter was still gone and "Master didn't bother to eat Mavis' breakfast."
Severus quickly retreated, uninterested in listening to a mad elf's ramblings. Potter was likely stuffing himself with junk from the vendors in Diagon Alley.
He was irritated to find out that although the venom would require a transfiguative base, the potion itself would need to be medicinal if it were to be administered to Muggles eventually.
While Wixen could handle Muggle medicines, though typically requiring much higher dosages due to the magic that causes their metabolism to burn much faster, Muggles could not tolerate potions. It had the same result as feeding them slow acting poison- eventually their organs would shut down and they would die from it.
He slammed his notebook closed, harder than may have been necessary, and went to clear his mind.
Potter looked up from where he was sprawled on the floor, a mess of parchments surrounding him, when Severus walked in the room.
"All done for today then?" he asked.
"Probably," Severus huffed, still thinking over how to make a transfigurative potion base medicinal enough to adjust for Muggles but without losing its properties.
"Wanna go flying?"
"What?" Severus pulled himself from his swirling thoughts at Potter's absurd offer.
"Yeah, flying," Potter said, sitting up with a grin. "It's good to clear your head, ya know? And it's nice out and I can show you this cool trick I've been-"
"Okay, fine," Severus agreed, more to shut up Potter's excited ramble than any desire to fly. "I suppose my broom has been relocated to the shed?"
"Yes!" Potter jumped up and was bouncing on the balls of his feet eagerly. "C'mon, let's go!"
Severus was incredibly bemused at Potter's energy. He must have made multiple trips to Fortescue's while he was with Miss Bones.
Severus followed as Potter practically sprinted out the back door. Potter quickly snatched the brooms and handed Severus his old and rarely used Comet.
"Come on! Watch this!"
Potter jumped on his Nimbus and immediately took off to the air. Severus rose slowly in the air, keeping on eye on the foolish brat.
They floated around for an hour or so. Severus mostly watched Potter as he rolled, dove, spun, and showed off his athletic ability. Severus was lucky to remain seated on his broomstick- he had no idea how Potter managed to make it look so effortless.
"Okay, this is the one that Ron told me about! Watch!" Potter shouted.
Severus watched as Potter rose dangerously high in the sky, at least triple Severus' own position, before angling his broom directly at the ground and zooming towards certain death.
"Harry!" Severus yelled, trying to speed towards the stupid brat.
Potter just laughed and pulled hard on his broom handle, straightening himself at the last moment, but rolling off his broom and hitting the ground for his troubles.
"Ow," Potter laughed. "I'm still working on it!"
"You are an idiot," Severus said, gritting his teeth so hard he thought he may have chipped a molar. "What on Earth is wrong with you?"
Potter picked his head up from the ground and looked surprised at the acid in Severus' tone.
"What'd I do?" he asked bewildered.
"Almost broke your foolish neck," Severus said, landing gracefully next to Potter, who was still laying on the ground, now propped up on one elbow.
"I'm going to get this done, then you won't be saying that," Potter laughed. "Practiced all night, didn't I? And once I didn't even fall at the end."
... all night?
Severus eyed Potter carefully. He didn't appear sleep deprived. He had energy in spades, his eyes were bright, and Severus had never known him to be in such high spirits.
"Are you not sleeping well?" he asked cautiously. Merlin forbid Potter believe he was asking about his 'feelings' and shut down.
Potter just laughed and jumped to his feet.
"Dunno, I just don't really need to sleep. I'm too excited. D'you think this is how everyone feels on summer breaks?"
Aah.
Severus was relieved that Potter himself had found the fitting explanation for his behavior. Last summer Potter had bounced between his friends' homes, never once finding the stability that the Muggle Mind Healer Severus saw a few months ago had said was so important for a child. This summer Potter had a home, one he owned himself in fact, and was becoming comfortable in his safety, security, and stability.
Severus wished he hadn't obliviated the Mind Healer. The man had seemed as if he believed Severus was incapable of providing Potter with these feelings very quickly and yet here they were.
"I am unsure," Severus hummed. "Though I am pleased that you seem to be having a good break."
"The best," Potter beamed at him. "And once I figure out this move it'll be even better!"
"I would prefer it if you practiced it during the daylight," Severus stressed, still shaken by the image of Potter speeding to certain death at the ground.
Potter gave him a cheeky smile and shrugged, effectively communicating what he thought of Severus' suggestion.
Severus sighed, "Have you completed your homework brat?"
Potter suddenly looked cagey and shifted around nervously.
"No sir," he mumbled.
"Severus," he corrected the obstinate child. "Come, let's take a break from flirting with death. You can work on your homework and then we can eat dinner before Mavis revolts against us."
"Okay!" Potter agreeably grabbed his broomstick and bounced alongside Severus. "So here's what Susan and I did today-"
Severus listened to Potter prattle on about adventures in Diagon Alley. Apparently Potter had convinced Susan Bones to follow him in to Knockturn Alley. An image that had Severus groaning out loud as he imagined the many various problems that The Boy-Who-Lived and the niece of the Head of the DMLE could encounter in Knockturn Alley.
"So, what do you think? Can we?"
Severus shook his head and glanced at Potter.
"Apologies, I was caught up with how badly Amelia Bones would curse me if she knew Miss Bones was wandering around Knockturn Alley with you. Can you do what?"
Potter huffed but didn't lose his smile.
"Can we get a dog? Please? Did you hear me say that I think the one we found was starving? I bought a huge steak from Tom for it, but what it really needs is a home."
Though Severus could hear the empathy oozing from Potter at the description of a starving, homeless dog; he himself had a strong dislike of dogs, most four legged animals really. He barely tolerated the cats that roamed Hogwarts.
"Absolutely not," Severus said. "We already have one annoying owl, one irritating elf, and a moody teenager in our home. We hardly have space for a mangy dog. It would also be unable to return to school with us in September as dogs are not officially allowed pets."
"Ron has a disgusting rat," Potter pointed out. "And it's not on the official list either.
"A rat is much simpler to hide than a dog," Severus said logically.
"If I check the rulebook and it doesn't specifically not allow dogs then can I go back and try to find him?"
Severus glanced down and saw that Potter was staring up at him with ridiculously pleading eyes.
"Check the rulebook and we will discuss it, brat," Severus growled, unwillingly conceding to the pout.
Please have a firm outline of what pets are and are not allowed at Hogwarts, Severus pleaded silently.
"Bastard," Potter smiled up at him.
He placed a gentle hand on Potter's shoulder as they entered their home and was internally discouraged to feel Potter tensing up beneath him.
Not that relaxed then.
"I'm gonna go work on my essays," Potter said, ducking away from Severus' hand quickly.
Severus nodded in acknowledgement as he moved to the sitting room, summoning his temporarily abandoned research after he settled in an armchair.
He summoned a quill as he quickly scrawled down a possible equation that could assist him in changing the properties of the transfiguration base to a medicinal base when-
"Severus! Harry! Hello!"
Son of a bitch.
At this rate Severus would not be able to even get past the research portion to begin experimenting until Potter moved out.
Severus moved in front of the newly lit floo, kneeling down the see that the person interrupting his research was none other than the Minister of Magic.
"Severus! Oh thank Merlin you're home!" The Minister cried, looking harried.
Severus supposed that one of the few official perks of being Harry Potter's guardian was his newfound first name basis with the Minister of Magic.
"Cornelius," Severus said cordially. "How can I help you?"
"Is Harry there?" Fudge asked quickly.
"He is," Severus said. "Would you like me to fetch him?"
"No, no," Fudge looked uneasy. "I need to tell you- I mean, that is- you should be aware..."
Severus waited with as patient of a face as he possibly could. It would do him no favors to snarl at the Minister to get on with it.
Fudge took a deep breath and looked right at Severus.
"Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban."
And just like that, Severus' summer visions of research, experiments, quiet evenings with Potter, and general peace disappeared.