Please...

Chapter Twelve

Severus walked around and through the rows of tables, watching closely. His students were doing relatively well for mere second years. That is, until one started bubbling over and onto the table. It started... moving?

He had to bite his lip in order not to start yelling. He pointed his wand at... whatever it was at this point, and it disappeared. "Just... do better next time."

The entire class stared at him. "Are you ill?" someone asked. "No, I'm not ill! Get back to work!"

He moved back to his desk. "Daddy?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"You didn't yell," Harry pointed out.  "Of course I didn't yell."

"But you always yell at them. You haven't yelled in a week." Severus shrugged and began grading papers. "We'll just say I'm trying something new." Harry hugged Severus' leg. "I like it when Daddy isn't mad."

"I don't try to be mad, bambi, it's just how I am. But, I'm trying to not yell as much, okay?" Harry grinned and nodded. "Why's you never mad 'round me or the Slithys?" Harry asked. "Let's talk about this later, okay? I have papers to grade."

"Daddy!" Harry said, not moving from his spot. "What, Harry?" he responded, his patience being tested. "Can I have my c'ayons?"

"Aren't they-" He spotted them on his desk. "Here, bambi, but now you have to be quiet, okay?"

Severus' lack of sleep, plus his nightmare, plus Harry's nightmare, plus Harry's lack of sleep, along with his overly loud students, was eating at him. He knew that soon, he would either snap at Harry, snap at his students, or break. None of those choices were ideal, but he wasn't going send Harry with McGonagall, or Madame Pomfrey, and he sure as hell wasn't going to drink when Harry was with him. If anything, that would give him a headache, which would make him tired and short tempered.

And then there was Remus. Remus Lupin, coming to his quarters, for dinner. Tonight. This, of course, just added to his stress.

"Sir? Class is over, can we go?" a student asked. "What?"

"Class is over, has been for a few minutes. Can we go?"

"Oh... yes, yes, you all can go. A ten inch essay is due on Monday on Bezoars. Just a review. You are dismissed." Whispers were heard throughout the room as they left, mostly about how Severus must be furious if he's acting nice. Some were saying this side of him was better, while the rest disagreed.

"Daddy?"

"Yes bambi?" Severus picked Harry up and rested him on his hip. "You're... different today. Why?"

"Let's go home first, bambi." He decided to take the short route instead of walking through the corridors of the castle, and gave the password to Salazar. The portrait opened, and he took the two steps.

"Harry, remember how I've been talking to someone through owls?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, that someone is coming over tonight. You remember him, right? Moony?" Harry nodded and ducked his head. "He's really nice, I promise. You sounded excited when I brought him up last week, what's different?"

"I have to see him now," Harry whispered. "What if he doesn't like me?! What if I'm nothing like he thought?! What if he don' want me!? Sev, what if I'm nothing-"

"He loves you, honey," Severus assured. "He loves you a lot."

"Why didn' he come for me then?!"

"Because, Harry, we were all told to stay away. We were told you were safe, we trusted that evil man that came here before, okay? Now that you're with me, you're going to meet a lot of new people, who love you so, so so much. I promise."