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.He flinched andtensed, but he stayed put."It will be all right, Severus," Hermione promised, trying to ignore her husband's stare.Ron was lookingat her like she'd lost her mind."How can this possibly be all right?" The question was a hiss of emotion, like a boiling kettle letting offsteam."You can't begin to suggest that you are pleased by this development?""I think.I think that Harry has needed someone of his own for a very long time," she said slowly,choosing each word with extreme caution."And I don't see why that someone couldn't be you."He gave her that same betrayed look that his younger self had cast at her every time Severus suspectedhe was being teased.She stared him down, easily."I don't know how this happened," Severus confessed."Yesterday.""He was your entire world yesterday," Hermione supplied."You were totally devoted to each other.It was .wonderful to see.""We were children," Severus insisted."And today you are adults.Those feelings didn't go away.They just matured," she countered."Look at me.the very idea is.an obscenity.I am old enough to be all of your fathers," Severuswhispered.She cupped his cheek and drew his tormented gaze to her eyes."Harry has never thought of you as afather substitute, Severus.""Yeah, I've got that lovely role now," Ron lamented.Hermione was going to lambaste him for making light of this situation, but seeing how Ron's perfectlynormally voiced comment affected Severus, she changed her mind.Sometimes humour was the greatesthealer.Severus appeared no more certain, but at least the levity had calmed him some, as though itsvery presence assured him that the world wasn't ending around him, no matter how bleak the momentseemed."Even so, he would never.it's unthinkable," Severus denied."Why?" Hermione challenged."He is the Boy Who Everyone Wants.What could I offer that he couldn't get elsewhere from someoneyounger and more comely?" Severus shot back, the speed of his delivery telling Hermione that these werearguments he carried close to his heart."How about the friendship that he relied on for the four months you spent together? How many times aday did you hear him brag to someone that the two of you were 'best friends forever'?" she reminded."We aren't children anymore," Severus said."All that changed when Albus made us come back.The boy Ilost my soul to doesn't exist anymore."And that belief was an open wound.Hermione could almost feel the agony his altered reality had visitedupon Severus.'Lost his soul'.when had she heard Severus Snape admit to so much as liking someone?Albus Dumbledore had been his only friend for decades and Snape had managed to maintain his controlswhen they'd laid his body in the ground.Now, here he stood talking about losing his soul to Harry."That boy is still inside Harry, the same way your seven-year-old self is inside you," Hermione insisted."Perhaps," Severus conceded."But do you think he has this same twisted impulse?""There is nothing twisted in caring for someone, Severus," she almost scolded."I think Harry is hurtingthe same way you are.And I think that you should speak to him about what he may or may not befeeling.""Harry Potter would never.think of me that way.And even if he did.it would never work.""Why?" That seemed to be the only word she could say to him.She was losing patience with hisstubbornness."I have no.skill in matters of the heart," Severus haltingly confessed."And you think Harry does?" Hermione almost laughed at the idea. Severus quickly offered, "I saw the articles; they could hardly be missed.Every week a new face, a newromance.""Severus, I was one of those faces purported to be Harry's lover of the moment.When we were visitinghim during his quidditch tour that second year, the photographer caught Harry and me having breakfastone morning before Ron came down.You remember that debacle, don't you?""Yes, what is your point?" he demanded."What makes you think any of those other articles were any more accurate than that one? Harry couldn'tbuy a chocolate frog from a store clerk without it becoming the romance of the century, for heavenssake!" Hermione argued."It got to be a running joke between the three of us," Ron added."We'd see the pictures and then owlhim to find out the real story.Half the time he didn't even know the names of the loves of his life."Seeing that they'd finally gotten Severus to listen, Hermione finished with, "Harry is a very privateperson, Severus.Between school and battling Voldemort, he never really had a chance to develop anyromantic attachments.You're more alike than you think.Please, I know this is a lot for you to handle, butplease promise to consider some of the things we've said.""You would seriously condone.such an idea?" Severus had never sounded more like his seven-year-old self than at that moment.Hermione exchanged a quick look with Ron.Relieved that they appeared to be in sync on this, for all thatRon still seemed slightly weirded out by the prospect, Hermione touched Severus' sleeve and softlyassured, "We approve of anything that will make you both happy, Severus.""Both?" Snape whispered."Both.You're on the clock, too," Hermione smiled.His expression suggesting that he felt he'd said far too much, Severus quietly said, "I must go now." Hisgaze swept to the clock and then back to them."May I rely on your discretion in this matter?"Six months ago, the paranoid potions master would have been convinced that they would use thisinformation against him in any way possible.Hermione was immensely relieved that that much hadchanged."You have our word," Ron said.Seeming at a loss, the normally articulate Severus stumbled, "I.thank you.for everything."Hermione reached out to give him a quick hug before he could flee."Don't be a stranger.""You're family now.You can't get rid of us," Ron said, offering his hand.The moment strangely solemn, Severus reached out to shake it.Once he'd let go of Ron's hand, he said ina typically droll manner, "Family, is it? Two hundred Weasleys at Christmas time.How charming."For a moment, Hermione feared that Ron would take his words wrong, but then Ron burst out laughingand said, "Two hundred sounds about right.At least that's how it feels sometimes."Hermione had to grin at the alarm Severus couldn't quite keep out of his eyes.But the fact that he wasn'tcutting the idea to shreds with his scimitar tongue said more for the transformation he'd undergone theselast few months than anything to date. As Severus turned to go, Hermione reminded, "You'll promise to think about what we said?""I'll consider it," Severus reluctantly agreed, and then he really did flee.He was still considering it hours later as he sat in shirtsleeves and slacks before his hearth in quartersthat abruptly seemed far too lonely to even think about sleeping in.Just last night he and Harry had beenwrestling with Ron on a rug in front of a nearly identical fireplace.The room had been filled with noise andwarmth.and love.And laughter, so much laughter.Severus thought that he might miss that the most.Although they had only been seven and most of thethings that they'd found amusing probably wouldn't be funny to him now, it seemed that he and Harryhad laughed most of the time they were together.Not surprisingly, his visit to the Weasleys was still heavy on his mind.He still couldn't believe half of whathad transpired.When he'd knocked on Hermione and Ron's door tonight, Severus had been fairly certain that he wouldn'tbe turned away, but he'd expected things to be awkward in the extreme.He'd left so abruptly thismorning, without even pausing to thank them for all the trouble they'd gone to for him, and, beyond that,he was no longer the child they'd grown fond of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.He flinched andtensed, but he stayed put."It will be all right, Severus," Hermione promised, trying to ignore her husband's stare.Ron was lookingat her like she'd lost her mind."How can this possibly be all right?" The question was a hiss of emotion, like a boiling kettle letting offsteam."You can't begin to suggest that you are pleased by this development?""I think.I think that Harry has needed someone of his own for a very long time," she said slowly,choosing each word with extreme caution."And I don't see why that someone couldn't be you."He gave her that same betrayed look that his younger self had cast at her every time Severus suspectedhe was being teased.She stared him down, easily."I don't know how this happened," Severus confessed."Yesterday.""He was your entire world yesterday," Hermione supplied."You were totally devoted to each other.It was .wonderful to see.""We were children," Severus insisted."And today you are adults.Those feelings didn't go away.They just matured," she countered."Look at me.the very idea is.an obscenity.I am old enough to be all of your fathers," Severuswhispered.She cupped his cheek and drew his tormented gaze to her eyes."Harry has never thought of you as afather substitute, Severus.""Yeah, I've got that lovely role now," Ron lamented.Hermione was going to lambaste him for making light of this situation, but seeing how Ron's perfectlynormally voiced comment affected Severus, she changed her mind.Sometimes humour was the greatesthealer.Severus appeared no more certain, but at least the levity had calmed him some, as though itsvery presence assured him that the world wasn't ending around him, no matter how bleak the momentseemed."Even so, he would never.it's unthinkable," Severus denied."Why?" Hermione challenged."He is the Boy Who Everyone Wants.What could I offer that he couldn't get elsewhere from someoneyounger and more comely?" Severus shot back, the speed of his delivery telling Hermione that these werearguments he carried close to his heart."How about the friendship that he relied on for the four months you spent together? How many times aday did you hear him brag to someone that the two of you were 'best friends forever'?" she reminded."We aren't children anymore," Severus said."All that changed when Albus made us come back.The boy Ilost my soul to doesn't exist anymore."And that belief was an open wound.Hermione could almost feel the agony his altered reality had visitedupon Severus.'Lost his soul'.when had she heard Severus Snape admit to so much as liking someone?Albus Dumbledore had been his only friend for decades and Snape had managed to maintain his controlswhen they'd laid his body in the ground.Now, here he stood talking about losing his soul to Harry."That boy is still inside Harry, the same way your seven-year-old self is inside you," Hermione insisted."Perhaps," Severus conceded."But do you think he has this same twisted impulse?""There is nothing twisted in caring for someone, Severus," she almost scolded."I think Harry is hurtingthe same way you are.And I think that you should speak to him about what he may or may not befeeling.""Harry Potter would never.think of me that way.And even if he did.it would never work.""Why?" That seemed to be the only word she could say to him.She was losing patience with hisstubbornness."I have no.skill in matters of the heart," Severus haltingly confessed."And you think Harry does?" Hermione almost laughed at the idea. Severus quickly offered, "I saw the articles; they could hardly be missed.Every week a new face, a newromance.""Severus, I was one of those faces purported to be Harry's lover of the moment.When we were visitinghim during his quidditch tour that second year, the photographer caught Harry and me having breakfastone morning before Ron came down.You remember that debacle, don't you?""Yes, what is your point?" he demanded."What makes you think any of those other articles were any more accurate than that one? Harry couldn'tbuy a chocolate frog from a store clerk without it becoming the romance of the century, for heavenssake!" Hermione argued."It got to be a running joke between the three of us," Ron added."We'd see the pictures and then owlhim to find out the real story.Half the time he didn't even know the names of the loves of his life."Seeing that they'd finally gotten Severus to listen, Hermione finished with, "Harry is a very privateperson, Severus.Between school and battling Voldemort, he never really had a chance to develop anyromantic attachments.You're more alike than you think.Please, I know this is a lot for you to handle, butplease promise to consider some of the things we've said.""You would seriously condone.such an idea?" Severus had never sounded more like his seven-year-old self than at that moment.Hermione exchanged a quick look with Ron.Relieved that they appeared to be in sync on this, for all thatRon still seemed slightly weirded out by the prospect, Hermione touched Severus' sleeve and softlyassured, "We approve of anything that will make you both happy, Severus.""Both?" Snape whispered."Both.You're on the clock, too," Hermione smiled.His expression suggesting that he felt he'd said far too much, Severus quietly said, "I must go now." Hisgaze swept to the clock and then back to them."May I rely on your discretion in this matter?"Six months ago, the paranoid potions master would have been convinced that they would use thisinformation against him in any way possible.Hermione was immensely relieved that that much hadchanged."You have our word," Ron said.Seeming at a loss, the normally articulate Severus stumbled, "I.thank you.for everything."Hermione reached out to give him a quick hug before he could flee."Don't be a stranger.""You're family now.You can't get rid of us," Ron said, offering his hand.The moment strangely solemn, Severus reached out to shake it.Once he'd let go of Ron's hand, he said ina typically droll manner, "Family, is it? Two hundred Weasleys at Christmas time.How charming."For a moment, Hermione feared that Ron would take his words wrong, but then Ron burst out laughingand said, "Two hundred sounds about right.At least that's how it feels sometimes."Hermione had to grin at the alarm Severus couldn't quite keep out of his eyes.But the fact that he wasn'tcutting the idea to shreds with his scimitar tongue said more for the transformation he'd undergone theselast few months than anything to date. As Severus turned to go, Hermione reminded, "You'll promise to think about what we said?""I'll consider it," Severus reluctantly agreed, and then he really did flee.He was still considering it hours later as he sat in shirtsleeves and slacks before his hearth in quartersthat abruptly seemed far too lonely to even think about sleeping in.Just last night he and Harry had beenwrestling with Ron on a rug in front of a nearly identical fireplace.The room had been filled with noise andwarmth.and love.And laughter, so much laughter.Severus thought that he might miss that the most.Although they had only been seven and most of thethings that they'd found amusing probably wouldn't be funny to him now, it seemed that he and Harryhad laughed most of the time they were together.Not surprisingly, his visit to the Weasleys was still heavy on his mind.He still couldn't believe half of whathad transpired.When he'd knocked on Hermione and Ron's door tonight, Severus had been fairly certain that he wouldn'tbe turned away, but he'd expected things to be awkward in the extreme.He'd left so abruptly thismorning, without even pausing to thank them for all the trouble they'd gone to for him, and, beyond that,he was no longer the child they'd grown fond of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]