home (reader at hogwarts)

twenty four

you stumble down stairs, wonder through corridors and walk through many grand archways on your way to the teacher's quarters.

no student has the authority to be here, but you.

it's a long corridor with several large doors, each a little different. one had flowers trailing up its planks and another one had painted on bronze detailing that shone in the dimming light of the sky.

"watch this. you'll need to remember it." albus calls and you pull away from some of the fancier doors and glance at the one albus stands in front of.

it's a large black one, heavy silver metal lining it with plain silver handles.

you doubted anyone actually used handles at this school. now that you had magic, you didn't think you would either.

you watch as albus places a hand on one of the handles.

"quid negotii hic habes?" the handle whispers, and you barely catch it.

you walk forward to hear the response properly.

albus speaks clearly. "dominus de malum."

the door handle clicks and albus turns it, opening the door. You walk in after him into a dark room, much like spinner's end but bigger, and more spacious.

there is a big fire place, with roaring dark emeralds flames and walls of black wallpaper and silver detailing. shelves stack up on the wall, were full of little trinkets.

you smile, as you glance to the black armchairs sitting in front of the fireplace and spt severus' cloak draped on one of them. his brooch, the one matching yours, shone out to you as the reflection of green light from the fireplace danced in its metal detailing.

"sev?" you call out.

you hear a shuffling from a room nearby and the sound of heavy footsteps against the shiny black wooden floor.

severus' face came to view as he stepped out of a door. his hair was messily tied up, his face pink and the man was dressed in his usual grey coloured pyjamas.

"y/n. albus." he said, walking over to his cloak and hanging it up on a peg, the muggle way.

"hello," albus smiled. "i'm just showing y/n her father's room."

severus frowned, a glimmer of spite in his eyes. "i thought you said i wasn't her father."

albus laughed, lightly. "well, you're not. but- of course, everyone else will think so."

he looked down at you and severus through his spectacles with a strange smile before taking a step back and doing a subtle bow.

"i shall be going now, my friends. i have much preparation to do for tomorrow."

severus glares at him.

you bite your lip, noticing the tension between severus and albus, before looking up at the headmaster and giving him a side hug.

"i'll see you tomorrow morning, y/n. minnie will show you to where you'll stay for the night in a few hours."

"okay, have a good evening." you say.

"and you." albus says graciously before turning and disappearing in a haze of lilacish white smoke.

of course, apparating in hogwarts seemed impossible and was not known to be done but with albus being headmaster of the school, and the fact that he wielded the most powerful and sought after wand in the wizarding world- it didn't seem any less than a cake walk to him.

you turn back to severus as the smoke disappears and severus turns his face away from you.

"you're brewing something?" you ask him, knowing that he only ever tied up his hair if he was brewing something new.

severus doesn't answer and instead walks back to where he was before you and albus walked in.

you frown, following him and watching from the doorway as he continued to tinker with a funny purple liquid in a glass beaker.

"you didn't answer my question, sev." you say quietly.

he doesn't even glance at your way, as he stands, watching the potion bubble slowly.

"severus." you call again.

this time, when he doesn't answer, you feel a pit in your stomach. he is upset with you. you've done something wrong.

"severus- i'm sorry." you say, your voice trembling slightly.

severus looks at you, glaringly, pointing a finger at you. "no, don't do that-"

"do what?" you ask.

"cry. don't you dare cry and make me feel- make me feel guilty." he growls. "not you."

you take a step back and your eyes widen a little as you stare at him. he, himself, looks as though he might burst out into tears.

"you can't just make me care about you and then-" severus struggles to find the words. "throw yourself into business with deatheaters and-"

he takes a big shuddering breath before leaning back on the counter of the makeshift work station.

"you-" he starts. "you know lot more than any of us about the future, y/n more than me, but i at least know this-"

"there is going to be a war. we'll have to fight the most dangerous wizards alive. i can't just watch albus make you into a child soldier-" he extends an arm and you notice his eyes glossing over.

"he'll have you thrown out there to deal with it all, and i won't be able to-"

you step forward and grab one of severus' hands. it's stiff and reluctant to let you fold your fingers around his larger ones.

"is there anyone with more of a responsibility to help than me, with the knowledge that i have?" you ask him, watching his facial features soften.

his gaze falters, and he asks a question. "do you think it's right, to have a child fight this much? this isn't fair-"

"i will be fine." you defend. "i am perfectly capable of standing up on my own two feet and protecting myself."

he frowns at you.

"i am." you say, not being able to contain your laughter at the way his face fell. "you taught me so much back home."

severus almost smiles. "did you say home?"

you nod. spinner's end was your home. this world was home.

"you feel like home." you say, trying to reason with him. "this, none of this, will be any easier if i can't run home at the end of the day- if home is mad at me."

the man smiles. for the thousandth time since you moved in. severus is not the kind of person to smile, nor the kind of person that is easily won over but you can do it- you can make him smile.

"are you still mad?" you ask, quietly.

severus tries to keep it in but very soon exploded into huge booming laughs, echoing against the walls of the room.

he grips his stomach as you join in the laughter as well, the two of you groaning at the strain in your bellies and starting again every now and then when you make eye contact.

eventually, the two of you stop cackling and severus straightens up his apron, checking on a bubbly green liquid.

"you come here, darling." severus says, gesturing towards the other side of the counter. "come and help your dad with this potion."

you grin, rolling up your sleeves and walking towards the beakers.

brewing with your dad.

you didn't see that coming.