Speak Up - Female Deaf Harry Potter AU

Lily

Hari did her best in lessons, still unable to produce any spells. Because of this, she had developed a liking for potions. She was now best in that class, and Snape was grudgingly leaving her alone, even occasionally letting her do harder stuff. Compared to potions though, her other classes were abysmal. She copied everything down, she researched everything with Hermione. By November she knew all the theory that she would need for her first year, and yet she could do none of it. She went back to her ways at public school before she came to Hogwarts, her parchment covered in beautiful drawings of anything and everything. 

The only students who talked to her were Ron, Hermione, the twins, and occasionally Seamus.

Her only relief was quidditch. Quidditch was the only place she felt truly free. She didn't have to try to communicate in any way, she just soared above everything, watching like a hawk for the shinning golden ball, before shooting after it.

This Saturday Hari would be playing in the first match of the season, Gryffindor vrs Slytherin. Slytherins played foul and Seekers were usually the smallest and fastest players, and most serious Quidditch accidents seemed to happen to them so Hari would half to be careful, especially as most of the school thought of her as a joke. Oliver was amazing though, he constantly encouraged her and tended to ask only yes or no questions to make it easier for her.

Hari finished the extra potions homework she'd been doing and headed down to the Snape's office to give it to Snape. She knocked on the door, then pushed it open. Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages. "Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" Suddenly Snape looked directly at Hari. He jumped backwards, quickly covering his leg.

'I'm sorry.' Hari quickly signed, unsure of what to do. Thankfully in during the last two months Snape had learned some basic sign language. 'Are you alright sir?' she signed hesitantly.

"I'm fine." Snape said, he seemed surprised that Hari had asked. Filch quickly scuttled out the door. Leaving Hari alone with Snape.  "You're here to turn in your extra assignment, I imagine?" Snape asked

Hari nodded, handing it over. 'I'm sorry about all the art on it.' she signed 'There's not much I can do in other classes.'

Snape glanced down a the paper, then looked up at Hari, the back down at the paper. She saw that he was staring at her drawing of a lily on one of the pages.

He looked up at Hari, as if wanting an explanation.

'I wanted to draw my mother', Hari signed sadly, 'but I don't remember what she looked like.....'

Then Hari saw something that she never imagined she'd see, Snape was crying. Not a lot, but the corners of his eyes were shinning with tears.

"You look so much like her."

'I know,' Hari signed, 'I have her eyes, people tell me that a lot.'

"No, not just her eyes, you have her face, her build, her everything. Only your hair and skin colours are different."

Hari could feel tears in the corners of her own eyes.

"From far away, you look like your father, but close up, you're just like her."

'You knew my mother?' Hari signed

"She was my best friend, my only real friend." Snape paused for a moment. "Wait here." He left through the back door of his office, Hari imagined it lead to his quarters. 

[Snape POV]

Snape returned a minute later holding a picture. He handed it to Hari, it showed a beautiful redheaded girl, when she was 15 years old. She was standing in a field, laughing at a joke he'd just told her. He looked over at Hari, the daughter and almost mirror of the girl he had loved, still loved and always would, and thought maybe he could care about her too. Hari needed an adult, some sort of caring figure, not an aunt and uncle who thought she was a freak. He'd been so angry at Albus for leaving the girl with Petunia, he'd almost stormed in and taken her himself. But he'd looked at her, and only seen James Potter, the arrogant asshole, not the woman he loved.

But now as he looked at Hari again, he saw, not James Potter, but Lily reflected in her; in her smile as she looked at the laughing picture of her mother, in the way her face lit up, and most of all, in her beautiful emerald green eyes.

Hari stared at the picture, at her mother that looked so much like her, and looked up at professor Snape, before reluctantly handing the picture back.

"Keep it" Snape said.

'Thank you' Hari signed, smiling and yet crying at the same time, and suddenly Snape did something he wasn't even expecting of himself. He just pulled her into a hug. She flinched slightly, then returned it, seeming very confused. "I'm sorry Lily" he whispered knowing Hari couldn't see or hear him. "It's all my fault, I will protect your child with my life."

[Hari POV] 

Hari pulled herself out of professor Snape's unexpected hug. She had thought Snape hated, or at least disliked her. She signed 'thank you' again, then awkwardly made her way out the door. Something about Snape told her she could trust him, she wasn't sure why, but she did. She didn't mention any of what had happened to her friends.

"No, not just her eyes, you have her face, her build, her everything. Only your hair and skin are different." I really like this line, I was planning to give it to Remus, but I think I like this better. It seems more emotional this way.

I do not own any of the art in this chapter