The heart under the dark robes

Only the roof is missing. Now, the walls are built with love.

Week 8/9

Severus had been studying with Harry late the previous nights and had almost 90% of his second year subjects mastered. Harry had been feeling much better since the Lockhart incident ,  and although Harry had been tense when the subject was brought up, Severus listened to him and understood his fears.  As the days passed, Harry asked about his aunt. She was still in prison, but for the first time she accepting   sending him a letter by owl and as far as he understood she wasn't doing too badly. Duddley, on the other hand, had been taken to a juvenile reintegration centre and was behaving in accordance with magical society (he was living with a strict squib family). For Harry, though surprisingly  , he was relieved on both sides, he wanted his cousin away from him as much as possible and his aunt, near enough to love her, but not to suffer from abandonment.

Harry wouldn't believe it if he had been told a year ago that Severus Snape would be his father and that he would... He would indeed be loved him  and wanted him . The mornings, though cold because of the arrival of autumn, were happy for Harry, it was there that he felt at ease with his life, there was an almost irreparable calm and happiness that had him warm, along with a warm gush of affection that welled up in his chest, every time Severus laughed and hugged him.
Harry had been able to talk to Hermione and Ron by owl after all, they had apologised to each other and were  the golden trio "again" . Harry  was looking forward to school days, so he could walk around his tower, see Hedwig more often and enjoy the hustle and bustle of his classmates. Hermione was staying at the Burrow , while her parents attended a dentistry and orthodontics conference in Sweden. Hermione told her that Mr. Weasley was really animated, to the point where Hermione had given him a book on basic dentistry to keep him entertained and stop his chorus of questions

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Severus gently entered Harry's room opening the curtains and allowing the morning's light rays to find the boy who lay sleeping like an angel in bed. 
"Dad!" Harry said as he smiled with the sun's rays touching his face.
"Good morning , lion."
"Daddy, I dreamt about mummy."
Severus could only smile and look at the boy's face to search for the answer to the dream
"It was about us...We were in a house, almost like a cottage. There were lots of flowers and it was a big green field, and there was you and there was my mummy. And you know...we were very happy, because there was no one bad and we could run through the mountains...like we were in heaven, with God."
"A really beautiful dream ,Harry"
"My mom told me that she loved you very much, and she thanked you for being with me."
"Always lion. I will always and forever be with you..."
"Do you promise it?"
"I promise"
"I'm hungry..."
"That's my son, of course you're hungry. You have to eat to be a big, strong boy like your father. "
"Pancakes?"
"Pancakes !."

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Harry walked down the stairs with his father behind him and while Severus ordered a nutritious breakfast, Harry patiently took his medication . Severus reached over opening the safety cap of the syrup and laughed when Harry made a sour face at the taste of the liquid.
"They say it tastes delicious."
"I think it tastes better  the mud you use in potions than this."
"Believe me, I can make the mud taste really convincing."
"I don't think so, dad."
"Oh, don't worry, I once made Dumbledore eat a potion with rotting dragon liver, fermented worm larvae, Thestral vomit, owl poop and mooncalf eyes with grass."

Harry grimaced as he laughed.

"He said it tasted like papaya..."
" Dad! I'm sure that didn't taste any good at all."
"Well... apparently it did work to get rid of an infection he had in his foot and I...I still have my job."
"I'm regretting being a fan of potions!"
"Keep it up son, the third best potions teacher in the world and the first in England don't deserve to have your son admire him, no... maybe he'll find another student over there, a more dedicated fan of cutting out frog eyes."
"And then you complain why people because they ignore you."
"If they ignored me, they wouldn't call me names."
"That's only because...
"Speaking of nicknames Harry... We're going to the Weasleys' today!"
"Really?"

"Yeah, seriously. I have to make some preparations, talk to the teachers about you-know-what and...organise the classroom. So, I thought you could go and spend the next week with the Weasleys."
"Dad, thank you really." 
"I'm not done yet...anything, complaint, grievance, claim, request, or illness you show  or they tell me about you , and you come right back." 
"I would never misbehave and you know it."
"You've hardly ever been away from Hogwarts and I think the are of the Burrow will do you good to distract you a bit. However, don't think I'm not aware of what the golden trio can do and especially in a house like the Weasleys'."
"Dad! We would never do anything wrong, we are naughty yes...but we have limits."
"Oh yeah? And the three of you taking on a troll is having boundaries?"
"Sorry about that..."
"Come here, I don't think I ever told you how brave you were, but I don't want you to do silly things like that again. Come here." Severus hugged Harry as they walked to the dining room, where the elf already had the food served."
"Eat, I'll get your things ready."
"Dad, you mean... I'll go by train '"
" Well.. Not if you don't want to. It seems like a silly ride, because you're already here, but it's special anyway. So...that's why I proposed it. However if you don't want to do it..."
"No, please."
"You won't take your trunk , just go with a small backpack and your clothes to change into. And well.. with your wand."
"Thanks dad!"
"Don't thank me. You're my son..."
" I love you "
"And I love you, little grasshopper."
Harry, put another piece of pancake in his mouth and gave Severus a look full of happiness. His father could only concentrate on one thing... those expectant green eyes, that spoke to him...Lily was with him.