The Whomping Willow
Chapter seven-
Severus Snape stood in the shadow of a nook, watching, waiting, for the two missing students. He could have been sitting at the staff table watching the sorting, making sure Harry was alright. But no, he was ordered by Dumbledore to keep watch for Haiden Potter and his pet Weasel. Severus couldn't help the sneer that appeared on his face when the two boys stumbled through the main door, dirty and bruised, their trunks dragging behind them.
It still surprised Severus at how much Haiden Potter looked just like his father, James Potter. It was also most definitely the reason he was that much harder on the boy. Not out of the fact he knew Haiden could be better, no, it was out of pure hate. Severus couldn't do anything to James when he was alive for everything the man had done to him just because the man believed that Severus wanted Lily as more than a friend.
When in truth, Lily was his sister in everything but blood. Lily had been his first friend that happened to also be different like him. She was his saving grace when things got too bad at his home, though at that time she didn't know haw fucked up his home life was. Lily was also there to help him accept the fact that he was gay. She helped him see that just because he liked men didn't make him any different from guys that liked girls. Lily, though hurt, understood his decision to join the ranks of Death Eaters.
Severus was brought back to the present when Haiden and Ronald jogged passed him, neither one seeing him, to peek into the Great Hall. “Hang on.” Severus heard Haiden mutter to Ronald as he silently made his way behind the boys, crossing his arms across his chest and glaring at them. “There's and empty chair at the staff table... Where's Snape?”
“Maybe he's ill!” Ronald said hopefully.
“Maybe he's left,” Haiden whispered just at hopefully, “because he missed out on the Defense Against the Dark Arts job again!”
“Or he might have been sacked!” Ronald whispered enthusiastically. “I mean, everyone hates him-”
“Or maybe,” Severus drawled out, a dark smile on his face as the two boys spun around to look at him in shock, he was going to enjoy this far more than he knew he should, “he's waiting to hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train.” He watched as the boys glanced at each other with a gulp. “Follow me.” He whipped around and without a glance behind him, began walking towards his office, knowing that the two boys would follow him. Making sure that they didn't hear his password, he unlocked his office door and opened it. “In!” He said pointing into the room. Severus held in a smirk as he watched them enter the room while shivering. He followed them in, observing them as they looking around at the walls that were lined with shelves of large class jars, that held his more disturbing potion ingredients, ones that would never be used in the potions he taught at school, for they were far too unpredictable and dangerous if used wrong. “So,” He began softly, the same way he did when lecturing, “The train isn't good enough for the famous Haiden Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?”
“No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it-” Haiden started to explain, but his tone of voice sounded almost cocky and condescending to Severus's ears. He was immediately bombarded with images of James using that same tone of voice to a teacher to get out of a punishment for being caught tormenting Severus.
“Silence!” Severus snapped coldly, before taking a few calming breaths to keep a panic attack from happening in front of his students, especially these two. “What have you down with the car?” His observant eyes saw Ronald gulp as him and Haiden shared a confused and bewildered look, obviously wondering how he knew, that was until he pulled out the Evening Prophet that Dumbledore had handed him when he ordered him to wait for the boys. “You were seen,” he hissed, showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUFFES. He began to read out loud to them.
“'Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw and old flying car over the Post Office tower... at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Baylis, while hanging out her washing... Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police...' Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?” He said looking from the Prophet to smile darkly at Ronald who paled. “Dear, dear... his own son...” He let his eyes roam over the boys who were both shifting uncomfortable and looking absolutely terrified, and he loved it.
“I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow.” He drawled out, though he wouldn't tell them that it was only valuable to him and one other person, nor would he tell them that the Whomping Willow hid a secret tunnel to the Shrieking Shack, where a certain person liked to hid during certain times of the month.
“That tree did more damage to us than we-” Ronald blurted out.
“Silence!” Severus snapped inwardly enjoying when Ronald paled more and snapped his mouth shut. “Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that power. You will wait here.” He ordered to the ashen faced boys. He stood up and left his office, he made his way into the Great Hall, and though he knew that Dumbledore would not let either him not Minerva expel Haiden, he still enjoyed hanging the threat over the boy's head. As he made his way through the Great Hall and towards the staff table, he let his eyes land on Haiden's twin brother, Harry.
The first time he had seen the boy huddled up in front of Madam Malkin's he had been drawn to the boy. And though he had tried to ignore the pull towards the tiny boy in the obviously too big clothes, he had finally caved when, three hours after he had first seen him, find him still in the same spot in front of the robe shop. And as he hesitated in front of the boy, he could hear the voices of Lily and his partner berating him for being stupid and to go help that poor boy.
The shock of suddenly looking into the Emerald Green eyes so much like Lily's had him almost stumbling backwards to try and get away from the pain that had come from the reminder of his dear friend and sister. And then the suddenly parental need to take care of the boy when he found out that he had Lily's blood running through him had almost had Severus running away. He had never once felt the Parental urge/need for anything before, and it scared him. How was Severus suppose to be a father when he himself never truly had one.
Yes, he had a sperm donor that stayed around only to beat him and his mother, berate him by telling him he would never amount to anything and that the only thing he was good for was to be a punching bag. Severus had never once thought of being a father, just the mention of possibly fathering a child sent him running away from his partner. And yet here was this obviously abused child that made him want to take care of his like a proper father would. If his partner had been with him, Severus knew that his partner would smile lovingly at him and gently pat his hand in that way he always did.
At first Severus was afraid that Harry's brother would pull that same parental urge out of him, yet all Haiden pulled out of Severus was loathing. He was still trying to figure out why one twin made him want to protect the boy while the other made him want to strangle him.
“Yes, Severus?” Minerva asked snapping him back to the task at hand, he took note of Dumbledore watching them from the corner of his light blue eyes, an obvious ear in their conversation.
“Potter and Weasely are waiting in my office.” Severus told her, as well as Dumbledore. and she let out a soft sigh.
“I see,” She turned to the new Defense teacher with an obvious fake apologetic look. “I apologize, but I have an important matter to take care of.” And with that she stood up and followed Severus back to his office, knowing that Dumbledore would make his way there when he could slip away from the feast. He allowed Minerva to enter first, and fought very hard not to snicker when the two boys jumped out of their seats in fright when she used her wand to light his fireplace.
“Sit.” Minerva ordered to the boys as he softly shut his office door and stood in front of it, as if to guard it, with his arms crossed. As he looked at Minerva's tight lipped angered look, he was very thankful that he was not on the receiving end of it. Severus had seen that look plenty of time when he was a student, thankfully most of the times he had seen this look it had been aimed at either James or Sirius. Though the few times it had been aimed at him, he had been scared shitless. And if he were truly honest, it still scared him when it was aimed at him, though he was just a lot better at hiding it. “Explain.” She ordered and instantly Ronald launched into the story of what happened.
“-so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train.” Haiden finished.
“Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?” Minerva asked giving Haiden a hard look causing the boy to sink into his chair and gap at her.
“I-I didn't think-” Haiden stumbled and Severus coughed to cover up a snort at how obvious that was, he turned his head away from Minerva when she shot him a look.
“That is obvious.” She told Haiden just before there was a knock on the door. Forcing himself to look happier than he was, putting on a show for the boys to make them think he knew they were getting expelled, he opened his office door to show Dumbledore there with a grave look. Everything was silent as Dumbledore made his way into the office, barely looking at the two boys as he walked over to the desk, taking the seat as Minerva stood from it. It was only then that he actually looked at the boys, a long silence followed and Severus fought the urge to shift on his feet.
“Please explain why you did this.” Dumbledore said calmly and Haiden began the story this time with Dumbledore staring at them both through his spectacles. When Haiden had finished retelling the story, Dumbledore stayed silence and continued to peer at them through his spectacles. And had Severus not been used to this guilt treatment, he would have thought that the old man had fallen asleep with his eyes open.
“We'll go and get our stuff.” Ronald said hopelessly.
What are you talking about, Weasley?” Minerva barked.
“Well, you're expelling us, aren't you.” Ronald asked.
“Not today. Mr. Weasley.” Dumbledore said. “But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you.” And even though Severus had known that Dumbledore wasn't going to expel them, he couldn't help opening his mouth.
“Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree- surely acts of this nature-”
“It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishment, Severus.” Dumbledore said with that damned twinkle in his eyes, and the only thing Severus could do was bite his tongue hard enough to make it bleed and ball his hand up tight enough to make them white as snow to keep from doing or saying something stupid. “They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility.” Dumbledore turned and looked at Minerva who was silently staring at Severus in concern. “I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample.” Severus shot a look that could only be described as pure venom before he forced his body to follow Dumbledore.
Severus needed his partner. He needed to hold him as tight as he could to him to keep himself from reaching for his knife. He needed to let his partner's comforting scent wash over him to keep the urge to see his own blood dripping from his arm. He needed to hear his partner's voice to silence the screaming need to have some sort of control of his life, even if that meant hurting himself to do so.
Severus followed Dumbledore into the Great Hall, and the second his eyes locked with Harry's doe like eyes, the urges left. And all that was left in their place was guilt. Somewhere in the back of Severus's mind, he seemed to know that if Harry, the boy he was fighting Dumbledore for custody over so that he could be Harry's father, ever found out about his urges to hurt himself, would cry.
And no one was allowed to make his son cry, not even him.