A Motherly Intervention.

Title: Dinner Disaster.
Author: pekeleke
Rating: T
Pairing(s): Severus Snape/Harry Potter.
Challenge: Prompt 4 (Picked from an online seasonal prompt list): Floo.
Word Count: 1002
Content:Chapter 4 of my Christmas Series: A Motherly Intervention.
Warnings: Getting Together. Enemies to friends to lovers. Mild Angst. Romance.
Disclaimer: The characters, setting, and the HP franchise are owned by JKR and not me. I make no profit from writing this piece of fanfiction.
A/N: Unbeated. Posting one chapter a day from December 1st to the 25th.
Summary: "Snape. Long time no see," Harry greets confidently, and Molly finds herself holding her breath as Severus stills beside her.

 Dinner Disaster.

After spending a restless night pondering the best method to ensure Harry's attendance at Friday's dinner, Molly decides to owl him. Harry hasn't shown up to family supper in over a month. She suspects he's too busy partying ahead of the restricting obligations that come with the holiday season. Still, Molly is determined to gauge Harry's interest in Severus. She warns her playboy son that she's expecting the potioneer for dinner and waits to see if Harry shows up.

Molly is pleasantly surprised when Harry is the first to arrive that evening. He's more formally turned out than usual, too. Gone is his perpetually too-tight t-shirt and those horrid leather pants he favors for clubbing. Harry looks elegant in classic black slacks, and his bottle-green knitted jumper looks soft enough to wrap kittens in. The color suits him. Molly wonders if he's wearing it in honor of Severus's Slytherin sensibilities or because he knows it matches his eyes. In either case, Harry's choice of attire shows promise. He's clearly out to impress and not in the aggressively sexual way he's accustomed to.

The rest of the family trickles in slowly. The clock ticks steadily towards seven-thirty. Although Molly has fed the children, she's adamantly waiting for Severus to serve dinner. Ron is sulking in the corner, tummy rumbling unhappily, while Harry stares fixedly at the fireplace.

The Floo finally activates, and Severus's distinctive voice warns them politely that he's stepping through a full minute before he does. Molly hurries toward him when he shows up, marveling at the man's exquisite manners, "Severus! Welcome. I'm so glad you could join us."

Severus stands very still on the fireside rug, looking wholly uncomfortable. Every eye in the living room is fixed on him. He pushes through the awkwardness and smiles, painfully courteous, presenting her with a fine bottle of wine, "Mrs. Weasley. Thank you for your kind invitation."

Molly blushes, thoroughly charmed by his old-fashioned civility, and accepts the wine bottle with flustered hands, "You shouldn't have."

Thankfully, Draco saves them both from exchanging a stilted array of pointless pleasantries by stepping closer and clapping his godfather's back enthusiastically, "You're late. Our king is in a foul mood, Severus. Nothing gets between Hungry Weasley and his food."

"Oi! Watch who you're badmouthing, foul ferret," Ron defends himself instantly, "Or my adoring sister will vanish you to the garden. Your poncy peacock house doesn't look very comfortable."

"My adoring wife won't choose a red-feathered gannet over me, Weaselby," Draco retorts, and Molly can't help but chuckle under her breath, amused at their antics. She curls a hand around Severus's left arm protectively, ignoring his instant flinch as her palm settles over the general area where his dark mark is located, and steers him towards the kitchen.

"Don't mind the children, Severus," She tells him softly, "They squabble mostly for sport."

"I see," Severus mutters, just as Harry steps oh-so-casually in their path.

"Snape. Long time no see," he greets confidently, and Molly finds herself holding her breath as Severus stills beside her.

"Potter," Severus inclines his head. The acknowledgment is civil but distant, and Molly realizes her gut instinct is right on the money when Harry's pleasant smile wilts in response to the potioneer's frosty greeting.

"How is your business?" Harry tries harder, adding helpfully when Severus fails to reply, "I hear it's doing well."

Severus looks taken aback. He's unaware of Harry's interest, that much is clear, and Molly wonders what he thinks of Harry's dissolute ways, "I can't complain," He offers stiffly.

"I tried to walk in a few times. Can't make it through the door, though. I wonder why that is," Molly frowns. Harry's inability to enter The Simmering Cauldron is news to her, and it explains so much about the origin of her son's uncharacteristic fixation with Severus's store.

"The shop's wards are designed to protect it, Potter. There is an extensive list of people banned from entering. Your name happens to be on that list."

"You think I'd sabotage you? I testified in your favor, Snape!" Harry sounds understandably affronted, and Molly sighs inwardly. The boys' first encounter isn't progressing as smoothly as she'd hoped.

"You are in possession of a basic sense of decency, I grant you that. Still, your temper is famously short, and you have plenty of reasons to resent me. I'm not risking my shop on the off chance you've matured enough to refrain from targeting me. I've sunk every galleon I own into the business."

"Your opinion of me is hardly flattering," Harry growls. He's so angry that his lips are white with rage. Severus stiffens from head to toe beside her, and Molly feels like cuffing her son before he has the time to open his mouth again. She understands precisely how Severus reached the conclusion that Harry dislikes him enough to potentially threaten his livelihood. She also knows Harry better than Severus does, and catches the hurt behind Harry's anger. This is a clusterfuck of major proportions. Severus's suspicious nature is getting in their way. She doesn't know what to do about that yet, but she has to fix it somehow.

"I'm sure it matches your opinion of me, Potter," Severus says acidly, and Harry physically recoils.

"No. It doesn't," Harry says cryptically, and Molly's heart sinks all the way down to her toes when he decides to storm out of her home instead of clarifying such a promising statement.

Severus swallows uneasily. He is visibly uncomfortable, and she holds onto him for dear life, realizing she can't let him go now. Severus becomes inaccessible to Harry when he hides inside his shop. And it’s clear as day that Harry desperately needs access to him. Molly doesn't know how it happened, but her son is definitely interested in Severus Snape. Merlin help her. Matchmaking these two stubborn goats will require more patience than she has in her entire body. She wonders if there is a store out there that sells it by the bucketful.