What the Devil Wants

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Harry shivered as he felt Snape’s wards crackle in irritation as a very familiar voice whispered it’s way inside the potion professor’s rooms. He’d been sitting here for hours, staring at the embers dancing across the fireplace. He’d lost all track of time as he’d sat still dressed in only his thin nightshirt, waiting and waiting for Snape to appear. Harry didn’t flinch as the door to Snape’s rooms opened in protest and a frustrated looking headmaster strode inside.

“That boy delights in creating difficult wards.” Harry ignored Albus, as the man grumbled to himself as he dusted off the singed bits of his robes where Snape’s latest set of wards had left their mark. “Harry, you’re late for class.” Harry winced as Albus flicked his hand, instantly igniting all the candles in the room making the looming darkness flare into an obnoxiously sunny morning. Harry chose not to reply and instead continued to stare into the fireplace. Behind the boy Albus sighed, as he sat down in Snape’s worn leather chair and summoned a house elf for tea and toast. “You’re not going to make him come home any quicker by sitting vigil by the floo Harry.” Harry closed his eyes tightly as he felt Albus’ warm hand come to rest on his shoulder, exposed as it was by the overly large nightshirt. “Severus Snape has been going to these meetings for longer than you have walked the earth Harry, give the wizard a little credit for knowing how to look after himself.” Albus sat back in the armchair and sipped from the cup of tea that the house elf had delivered not a minute before. “Come and have some toast and tea my boy, your thin enough without torturing your body with starvation.” Albus paused as he selected a piece of buttered toast from the tray. “Besides, Severus prides himself on taking care of his partners you would not wish to disgrace his reputation by appearing malnourished to his peers.”

Stunned by what the headmaster had just said, Harry spun around hastily from the fireplace and stared at Albus in shock. Albus chuckled as he handed Harry the rest of the toast, the boy blindly accepting the food as he continued to wait for some kind of explanation to the headmasters last comment.

“You forget I was his professor once Harry, and surprising as it seems I do understand how these things work.” Harry watched as the headmaster raised a knowing eyebrow before smiling behind his teacup. “I knew Severus was different from his classmates the moment he first stepped in through Hogwart’s gates.” With his eyes twinkling distantly and his steaming cup of tea clasped in his hands, Albus quietly reminisced.

“What was he like?” Having not really wanted to sit listening to the headmaster but knowing the alternative was to go to class, Harry quietly inquired after Dumbledore’s memories of a younger Severus Snape hoping to postpone going to class.

“Tall, slender, broodingly quiet, surprisingly obedient and very polite and well mannered. He carried himself with an air of good breeding but never with superiority over his fellow students. He was always immaculately dressed, never so much as a button or hair out of place. In truth, Severus appeared rather normal really.” Albus sipped from his teacup again as he blew the steam away from his face with a gentle sigh.

“Then how did you know he was different?” Harry whispered as he wiped his mouth on a napkin having finished his toast.

“His eyes.” Albus finished his tea and put the empty cup back on the tray that was sitting on the coffee table in front of him. Harry drained what was left of his own tea before a house elf appeared to clear the tray away. Harry tucked his knees up to his chest as a draft whipped through the broken wards as Albus continued. “Those eyes hid so many things, secrets no one but he knew of. They hid talent, skill and knowledge beyond his years. They also hid a darkness though, a darkness I perhaps wish I myself had recognized sooner.” Albus closed his eyes behind his half moon glasses as he shook his head sadly.

“But how did you know about him…” Harry paused awkwardly as he rubbed his nose on the dry skin on his knee. “, well you know about his tastes?” Harry finished quickly wondering if Snape would really want him to know this information.

“You’ve already been informed that some things in this castle are monitored Harry, things were no different in Snape’s days as student here.” Albus chuckled softly as he Harry blushed knowingly. “Although I knew what he preferred I chose not to interfere, he was both discreet and respectful with his partners something his peers had yet to grasp.”

“You mean my father.” Harry muttered instantly feeling a shudder of emotion swell in his chest. The more Harry heard about his fathers escapades in school the more he wished he didn’t know anything.

“Not specifically Harry, but James and Sirius were a part of it I suppose.” Harry nodded as Albus chose not to go into details, sparing the boy from more truths about his fathers past.

“Dad wouldn’t have approved would he?” Harry trailed his fingers back and forth across the tops of knees as he stare at the stars on the hem of Albus’ robe.

“I think your godfather made that clear when this all first came about Harry.” Albus put simply as he leant forward and placed a comforting hand on Harry’s shoulder. “But if it’s some comfort to you Harry, your mother would have been understanding. She and Severus were friends in a strangely odd way, and I think she’d have just been happy to see you happy in life.” Harry sighed and tucked his head closer to his knees as Albus stood up and dusted a few crumbs from his beard from the toast earlier.

“I think you need to get dressed and go to class Harry. Severus maybe your keeper and you have every right to be concerned for him, but you are still in control of your own life and you need to remember that.” Albus stepped towards the entrance into Severus’ rooms and instantly his robes began to scorch and smolder again as the wards caught him. “Blasted wizard, I should never have allowed him to ward his own rooms.” With a muttering curse Albus forced his way back through the door, leaving Harry silently smiling to himself at Snape’s creative warding.

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TBC>>>>