Chapter Text
“No, no, I told you not to put it there-”
“It’s not going to fall if I-”
“I’m telling you-”
The teetering stack of Exploding Snap cards exploded with a loud bang, punctuated by Severus clearing his throat to notify the cottage’s occupants of his arrival.
Harry looked up, the grin still on his face, and Severus’ stony facial expression relaxed with a small smile of his own. “Are you ready to leave?” he asked. His eyes flicked towards Sirius, then back to Harry.
Harry turned to Sirius, whose smile had slid off his face, the light in his eyes fading into a desolate, stormy gray.
Harry bit his lip. “I…”
“You may return anytime you wish,” said Severus, shifting his feet. “I would simply prefer to return to the castle before dark.”
Sirius smiled once more, though not quite as widely as he had earlier, and he followed Harry and Snape to the door.
“Thank you,” Harry said awkwardly, pulling on his cloak as Severus unlatched the old-fashioned, rusted lock on the door by hand.
Sirius reached over, his hands hovering over Harry's shoulder. “Could I…”
Harry nodded, his face heating, and allowed Sirius to pull him into a tight hug. He relaxed into it after a moment, his shoulders loosening enough for him to hug back. Sirius did not seem prepared to let go, the tightness of the hug feeling desperate, muscles locked in position, unable to let go.
He pulled away, clearing his throat gruffly, his eyes glinting in the firelight. “Say hello to Remus for me,” he said. “He should be fully recovered from his furry little- er- transformation in a day or two.”
“I will.”
Severus took Harry’s arm, and they left Yorkshire behind them with a pop.
Due to the unfortunate placement of the Easter holidays so close to exams, Harry was one of the few who’d left Hogwarts at all. The rest of the holiday was spent in a frenzy of studying with occasional breaks for food and sleep. They didn’t even have to go down to the Great Hall for meals, as there was a table filled with food from the kitchens now available in the common room. No one knew if it was allowed, but no one questioned it, either, and although the older students tended to commandeer the food supply, it never seemed to run out.
Hermione found her way to Ravenclaw tower to escape the antics of the Weasley twins, and her study schedule was much appreciated (a far cry from the unenthusiastic response from her Gryffindor classmates, she’d said with a scowl). Even Neville made an appearance, his round face panicked, certain that he’d fail all of his exams and would be exiled from Hogwarts forever. There was nothing anyone could say that could disabuse him of that notion, but Hermione’s study schedule seemed to calm him, if nothing else.
When lessons resumed, they were primarily focused on revision, and Harry’s head swam with all the information he’d been cramming into it each day. By the end of the week, Harry thought he’d never be able to look at another book again. Not a quill, inkpot, or parchment, either, he’d swear off them all if it meant he could get one, momentary reprieve.
Thankfully, the weather that weekend was warm enough for Harry and his friends to venture outdoors without their cloaks. Harry had introduced them to Hagrid not long ago, and Anthony took every opportunity to drag them to Hagrid’s hut so he could play with Fang. And Anthony may have been the only person on earth to be able to stomach Hagrid’s rock cakes.
And that’s why they were caught in a downpour on their way back to the castle from Hagrid’s hut, with only their school robes for protection and several minutes past curfew.
“We’re screwed,” Su said matter-of-factly as they watched the rain come down in sheets.
“It’s just water,” Anthony said unconvincingly.
“It’s not that,” Su groused. “It’s just that we’re not going to be able to avoid the prefects when we enter the common room dripping everywhere.”
“Fair point,” Harry muttered, his shoes squelching in the mud. He tried to wipe away the raindrops that had landed on his glasses, but his efforts only made his vision more blurry. Hadn’t he meant to learn a repelling charm for his glasses at some point? “But what are we supposed to do?”
“Sleep in Hagrid’s hut?” Anthony offered.
“Because that will get us into less trouble,” Su scoffed.
“Do you want to stand out here all night talking about it?” Harry asked irritably, shivering as a droplet of water ran down the neck of his shirt.
With no other options available to them, they walked forward resolutely and entered the Entrance Hall. It seemed deserted at first glance, so after a few cautious steps, they quickened their strides in the direction of Ravenclaw Tower.
But their luck was not to last.
A loud yowl from an unpleasantly familiar cat stopped them in their tracks, and Filch yelling, “Students out of bed!” in the distance marked the end of what would have been a pleasant evening.
Why don’t I ever have my Invisibility Cloak when I need it? Harry thought, resigned to a detention on top of all the studying he still had to do. He was tempted to cast the invisibility spell Blaise had taught him, but the boy had implied it wasn’t exactly legal…
“For Merlin’s sake,” Su snapped, stomping her foot in a rare display of temper. “We haven’t done anything, and they have no right to give us detention when we’re already drowning in-”
“My, my,” Filch interrupted gleefully, emerging from around a corner. “What have you little rats been up to? Stealing from potions stores, vandalizing corridors-”
“We haven’t done anything,” Su yelled, surging forward so that she was inches away from Filch.
The caretaker’s gleeful smile faded into a horrible scowl, and he grabbed Su by the scruff of her neck. Harry and Anthony both jumped forward, but Filch was thrown backwards with a loud bang, hitting his head against the stone wall and falling into a heap on the floor, unconscious.
The three of them stood frozen for several moments, horrified.
“Er,” Anthony started. “Should we get Madam Pomfrey, or-”
Su suddenly burst into tears, shocking Anthony into silence. Harry didn’t think he’d ever seen her cry. He stepped forward hesitantly, but Anthony beat him to it and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She didn’t shove him away, as Harry had expected, only crying harder.
“I’m going to get expelled!” she sobbed. “I’m so tired, and I just wanted to finish my exams and go on holiday, not, not-”
“I’ll get someone,” Harry murmured to Anthony, who nodded and led Su into a nearby empty classroom.
Harry ran at full speed to Severus’ quarters, nearly tripping over his feet as he dashed through the door, his chest heaving, praying to whatever powers existed that Severus would be there-
“What in Merlin’s name is the matter?” Severus sat bolt upright in a chair by the table.
“We- we-, Su, and Filch-”
Severus cut Harry off by pulling him into a seat and pushing a glass of water into his hands. “Slow sips, then tell me what’s wrong.”
Harry did as he was asked, and his heart rate had slowed to a normal pace by the time he finished the water. He explained the evening’s events in a halting tone, staring at his knees until he reached the bit about Su throwing Filch into a wall.
“She didn’t mean to do it,” Harry said earnestly, meeting Severus’ eyes. “She’s just- really upset, and I don’t want her to get into trouble…”
Severus narrowed his eyes. “May I ask what you three were doing out of your dormitories past curfew?”
Harry huffed. “It was barely past curfew. We were visiting Hagrid and-”
“It is your responsibility to manage your time appropriately,” Severus said shortly. “I cannot have you roaming the castle after dark for reasons as frivolous as losing track of time after visiting a friend.” He inhaled sharply, his grip tightening around the quill he still had clutched in his hand. “You’ve no idea-”
“It was just a few minutes,” Harry interrupted, tightening his jaw. Why was Severus making such a big deal out of nothing? “We got caught in the rain and it slowed us down-”
“Then you should have left earlier,” Severus snapped.
“We didn’t know it was raining until we left,” Harry retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. “Why are you being so- so…”
“So… what, precisely?” Severus asked in a quiet voice that was anything but placid. It positively dripped with warning not to tread further if he didn't want to spend the week scrubbing cauldrons.
Harry blew out a breath and dropped his eyes. “I didn’t come here to get yelled at,” he mumbled, sliding out of his chair and moving to stand behind it. “I just thought…”
Severus sighed heavily, and Harry lifted his eyes. The man no longer looked angry, just tired and worried, for some reason. He rose to his feet. “Escort me to the corridor where this occurred, and I will handle the matter.”
Harry froze in surprise. “What-”
“I will handle the matter,” Severus repeated, straightening his cloak.
“She won’t get into trouble?” Harry asked, hesitant. “I only came here because I thought you might be able to- to help…”
“A bout of accidental magic will not get her into any significant trouble, provided she has not killed the wretched man.”
Harry bit his lip and led Severus to the corridor, where they found Filch, still unconscious, with Mrs. Norris prowling in circles around him. Severus crouched down, waved his wand, and Filch’s eyes shot open.
“That little monster tried to murder me!” he shrieked, rising to his feet with no apparent difficulty. “I’ll have her chained in the dungeons for this-”
Severus silenced him with a ferocious glare. “You are far from dead,” he said coldly. “I have healed your very minor wound, so I suggest you return to your business while I handle the students.”
“But she-”
“You are the caretaker, are you not?” Severus cut it. “So caretake. I will act as a professor and handle the students.”
Filch’s face turned beet-red, and Harry thought for a moment that he might implode from rage. But the look on Severus’ face seemed to deflate him and he hunched his shoulders and beckoned for Mrs. Norris. “I’ll take it to the headmaster,” he muttered, ambling away.
“You do that,” Snape said flatly to his retreating back. “Now.” He turned back to Harry. “Where are your friends?”
Harry led him to the classroom across the corridor, where they found Su and Anthony. Su had stopped crying and was staring blankly ahead, her eyes red and puffy. She didn’t stir when they entered the room. Anthony, on the other hand, bounded forward.
“She’s not going to get expelled, is she?” he asked, troubled. “Su would never hurt anyone on purpose, and it’s not her fault Filch is such a complete-” he shut his mouth, cutting himself off from uttering whatever insult might get him in trouble along with her.
Severus looked torn between amusement and irritability, but Harry watched him carefully. Did he really care if Su was expelled or not? He’d cover for Harry, certainly, but would he go to the trouble for just another first year?
“This is not an expelling offense,” said Severus. He met Harry’s eyes, inclining his head. “I will escort you to your dormitory-”
Anthony shot a worried glance at Su. “But Filch might tell the headmaster that-”
“I will handle the matter,” Severus said tightly before turning to sweep towards the door. Anthony opened his mouth to argue, but Harry shot him a look. Was he trying to provoke Severus to wash his hands of the whole ordeal?
The three of them followed the professor without a word. Su’s breathing had long since steadied, and she even gave Harry a watery smile, then glanced away, embarrassed. Anthony couldn’t stay silent for long, and he was soon rambling about taking Care of Magical Creatures when he reached Third Year. Apparently, his cousin owned a Crup, and he’d begged his parents endlessly to get him one of his own. But Crups were known to be mistrustful and often antagonistic towards Muggles and Squibs, so there was no chance of keeping one in the house.
He trailed off when they reached Ravenclaw Tower, and Severus gripped Harry’s shoulder to hold him back while Anthony and Su walked through the opened door. When the door closed behind them, Severus pulled Harry to a quiet corner a few feet away, leaning forward to meet his eyes.
“Are you all right?”
“What?”
Severus let out a breath. “Are you… distressed, in any way, by the events that occurred this evening?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m afraid I was rather harsh with you earlier. I was simply…”
Harry shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m fine.” He startled when Severus pulled him into a tight, slightly uncomfortable hug, but he wasn’t complaining. Severus released him after a moment, still gripping his arms and staring with a strange expression on his face. It seemed as though he wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the words, or couldn’t bring himself to verbalize them. He let go of Harry’s arms and turned to go.
Harry stared after him for a moment, nonplussed, then shrugged again and returned to the common room. It was crowded with students drowning in piles of books and parchment, so no one gave them a second glance. He spotted Su and Anthony sitting together on a sofa near the fireplace.
“You sure you’re okay?” Harry murmured to Su as he sank into the seat beside her.
“I’m fine,” she said, turning her head away. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“It was pretty wicked what you did to Filch,” said Anthony with a poorly suppressed grin.
“Stop,” Su said, covering her face. “I could have killed him.”
“You wouldn’t have,” said Anthony, patting her on the back.
Harry rolled his eyes and bit back a grin of his own.
Su kicked his ankle.
***
“Severus, how good of you to stop by.”
Albus spread his arms wide in greeting, his eyes bright behind his half-moon glasses.
Severus studied him critically. Albus was a master of masking his weaknesses, but Severus well knew that he hadn’t fully recovered from the poison he’d ingested all those weeks ago. He opted to sit more than stand, his appetite had waned, and he didn’t utilize wandless magic to the degree he once had, reaching for his wand to cast spells Severus was certain Albus could have once performed with a mere thought.
It was troubling. Severus had been certain the man would be back to his full strength by now, or at least close to it, but it seemed that Albus had reached a plateau in his recovery despite doing everything he should in facilitating it.
Yet there was no use in asking, for Albus would wave away Severus’ concern as surely as he’d bat away a fly.
“I am not here for a social call,” said Severus, rubbing a hand over his brow and trying not to think about the piles of paperwork stacked on his desk. “Several students have run afoul of-”
“Argus,” Albus finished. “I had just sent him on his way.” He smiled reminiscently. “One cannot forget the pressure surrounding exam season. It’s one thing that has not changed at all over the decades.” Albus paused, his eyes glazing over briefly, in such a way that alarmed Severus, and he was a second away from stepping forward to assess the man’s lucidity, when Albus returned to himself with a jerk. “I’m sure the poor girl is upset enough. No need to explore this mishap further.”
It took a moment for Severus to remember that they were discussing the Li girl because Albus looked… odd. Not ill, precisely, or more so than he already appeared, but distracted by thoughts unrelated to the topic of discussion.
“Harry would be most appreciative,” he opted to say instead.
Albus smiled widely. “I’ve no doubt. He is a loyal friend.” His eyes went distant again, though he was clearly aware enough of his surroundings to notice Severus’ assessing gaze.
“All in good time, Severus,” said Albus, smoothing his thumb across the back of his wizened hand.
“What time is that?” Severus asked sharply.
“Soon,” said Albus. “Soon.”
***
The first exam was mere days away. Classes had ended, the students’ time fully devoted to study, and Harry had escaped to Severus’ quarters midday yesterday and hadn’t left since. Studying with friends was fun, to a point, but the noise and distractions in the common room was proving to be too much of a hindrance for Harry to tolerate.
He was making decent headway in plowing through his History of Magic notes (the gaps of which he’d filled with Hermione’s detailed transcriptions), curled up on the sofa, the only sound the scratching of Severus’ quill as he made his own way through a stack of parchment.
The content was so terribly uninteresting that Harry’s mind frequently wandered, his eyes following the same few sentences over and over again. Who bloody cared about Goblin wars of the thirteenth century, and why was Binns so hung up on them in favor of every other event in wizarding history?
What’s the point of exams at all? Can’t they just judge our skills based on class performance? It’s not like any of this bloody matters.
Harry stuffed his notes unceremoniously into his bag and pulled out another textbook at random. Herbology. He supposed that was tolerable enough.
His eyes wandered over the hand-drawn images of the plants they’d studied. Who had drawn these? Had magic been used, or had they been done entirely by hand? It could definitely be done; he’d seen Jade draw breathtakingly realistic outlines of various flowers and trees, some of which they’d seen, and some of which she’d simply imagined.
Harry eyed Severus. The man hadn’t given Harry any updates regarding his search for Jade, and Harry had to assume there was no news to give. But what if Severus had forgotten? He’d seemed so busy as of late, not to mention distracted, and he was only human…
“Did you find anything out about Jade?” Harry blurted out before he could stop himself.
Severus glanced up, his lips thinning. “Unfortunately, I have not yet succeeded in tracking her down,” he said, the regret palpable in his voice. “All I have managed to determine is that she once lived in Surrey-”
Harry, very suddenly, burst into tears, shocking himself with their loud and unrestrained manner and incapable of doing a thing to calm himself. He trembled violently, digging his fingernails into his upper arms as he hugged himself in a fruitless attempt to keep the shaking at bay. He vaguely noted Severus’ sharp intake of breath, a long, silent pause, then the scraping of a chair and footsteps as the man approached and pulled Harry close.
Harry wasn’t sure how long it had been when the tears finally ebbed; all he had to judge by was the ache in his chest and shoulders, itchy eyes, and clogged nose. He pulled out of Severus’ grip and removed his smudged glasses, halfheartedly wiping the lenses with the sleeve of his shirt.
Severus put an end to the matter by tapping his wand on the glasses, and then waving his wand over Harry’s head, clearing away the stickiness and removing the itching from his eyes.
Harry put his glasses on and slumped into the couch cushions. “I really thought you’d be able to find her,” he said, his voice still thick with tears. “You- you’ve done everything else, and I thought for sure you’d be able to do this too.”
“I have not yet exhausted all options,” Severus said, closing his eyes briefly. “There is still a substantial chance-”
“What if she’s dead?” Harry croaked, screwing up his face against another bout of tears. “She- she could’ve been dead all this time and- and- I was- I was angry with her. I was angry with her for leaving, but what if she just died- ”
Severus cupped Harry’s cheeks in his hands. “That is very unlikely to be the case, but you will get through it should that become the reality.”
Harry squirmed out of Severus’ grip “You’re supposed to tell me she’s definitely not dead,” Harry said with an audible grumble under his breath.
“You would prefer me to lie?”
Harry furrowed his brow. “Yes- no- I don’t know.” He swiped at his cheeks with the back of his hand.
Severus leaned forward to grip Harry’s shoulders. “I don’t believe that your friend has died, but if I am wrong, I promise you will not be alone.”