3: Dinner – Shock Harry

3: Dinner – Shock Harry

"May I ask you a question?"

Snape looked down at the young woman standing next to the oven, peeking into his pots and pans and very obviously avoiding eye contact. With his right hand, he stirred the scampi; his left rested, as ordered by Lupin. "Can I hinder you?" he asked, but without the familiar sneer in his voice. Since he had held Hermione some weeks back, at the night she had found out that he was still alive, since he had comforted her, something had changed between them and he was sure she was aware of it.

She smiled. "No. But if you wish I will wait until you are finished making lunch."

"How very thoughtful of you." Concentrating on his task, he added a few sprigs of rosemary to the sizzling crustaceans, nodded the pot with farfalle aside, and summoned some lemongrass. The combined flavour made his stomach grumble and would with certainty bring Draco down into the kitchen as well as Poppy and Lupin. They were somewhere in the house, and as he would leave for his own place later that day, he had offered to cook one last time.

Hermione silently sat on a chair and watched him, not saying a word until lunch was on the table. They might have a minute or two before the hungry mouths would storm the kitchen. "I wondered – would you get angry if I didn't come back to Hogwarts after the summer break?"

Stunned, Snape put down the small glass with plum wine he had been about to drink. "Are you telling me you plan not to finish your education, Miss Granger?"

"Hermione," she corrected him with a small voice. "You've called me Hermione most times in the past weeks. We've actually talked to each other for the first time since I've known you. I... I like it. And I fear, if I go back to Hogwarts, if I have to sit in your classroom again, you will be the... the..."

"The horrible teacher, the dungeon bat who torments you and your friends," he finished the sentence for her, poured some plum wine for her and handed her the glass. Thoughtfully, he took in her hair, her expression, the way she held her body. She had grown up, this girl, had turned into a young woman right under his eyes.

She nodded, but didn't dare to answer him aloud.

"Well, I consider it unacceptable. You will need a proper education if you want a career. And I assume a career is on your agenda. Or do you plan to marry Weasley, give birth to his kids, and become a housewife instead?"

She blushed furiously. "Ron and I... we are friends!" she exclaimed. "I have no intention of marrying him. Or anyone else. I am too young to marry, anyway. And I won't neglect my education, either. Beauxbatons offered me a place. I agreed. As my mother's sister lives in Paris and because we have visited her often, I speak reasonable French. I thought... But I wanted to ask you first."

Footsteps thundered downstairs. Draco must have smelled something to eat. Lighter steps were heard as well; Lupin and Poppy, obviously. Another moment, and they would storm into the kitchen.

Snape half turned to the door and warded it with a finger snap. Then he took Hermione by her shoulders and pushed her onto a chair. "Beauxbatons?" he asked. "They might not be bad, but certainly you can't honestly consider leaving Hogwarts for them!"

Hermione hung her head. "Really," she said in a small voice. "I have a good reason, and if you could stop only for a moment being so damn righteous, you would know what I am talking about. I..."

The wards fell and Remus Lupin came into the kitchen, wand drawn and eyes flashing furious daggers. "What the hell do you think you are doing, Severus?" he growled. "We can smell dinner and you dare to lock us out – that's unacceptable. Argue elsewhere, will you?" With that, he sat down and looked expectantly at Poppy and Draco, who came rushing in as well.

Hermione blushed. Snape, not knowing what to answer, decided that attack was usually the best defence. "Time I move out of here back to Spinner's End. If I want to argue, I will argue, is that clear? And anyway – where's Tonks? You said you would tell her about me. I expected her to come around and be nasty, given the fact that I've kept you away from home – and her bed – most nights for several weeks now."

Solemnly, Lupin poured himself some wine. "She left," he said. "To Europe. Got a job offer in Italy she couldn't refuse taking."

Buttering her toast, Poppy nodded her head in understanding. "I heard that you planned to separate," she said. "So sorry it didn't work out for the both of you."

Lupin flashed her a smile. "We are still good with each other," he said. "We always have been better friends than lovers, so this is fine for both of us. And I will see Teddy on a regular basis. She wanted to do some research on vampires, and now that this job has come up, we both agreed she should take the opportunity."

Snape looked at the werewolf with narrowed eyes. "You could have mentioned that last night," he said accusingly.

Sniggers all around the table startled the Potions master even further. "What?" he snapped. "He was upstairs with me and he usually talks a lot afterwards..."

Delighted laughter from Poppy and Hermione and a broad grin from Lupin finally brought Snape on the right track. "He massaged me! There was nothing sexual involved." Indignantly, he got up and turned his back to the bunch of imbeciles at the table.

Lupin gave in first. "Sorry, Severus," he managed. "But you must admit, the way you said it indicated..."

"I never indicate anything," Snape replied coldly. "And I utterly dislike you making fun of me, wolf!"

Lupin sighed. "No sense of humour at all, Severus," he said sadly. "Truly, you need to loosen up a bit, my friend. Thinking about it, a decent lay could help you tremendously to reach that target."

Hermione blushed furiously, Draco snorted into his wine, and Lupin grinned once more when Snape hunched his shoulders and left the kitchen, looking furious and not at all as if he would ever come back.

*********************

Three days later, Snape once more lay face-down on his bed at Spinner's End with a werewolf kneeling behind him.

"Ouch!"

"Don't fight me, it'll only hurt more," Lupin said, adding gentle pressure at the tender spot between the Potions master's shoulder blades.

"But it hurts!" Snape tried to throw the werewolf off, to no avail. Lupin was stronger than even the strongest human man, and the Potions master had no chance against him. "You... ouch! Stop it! You damn... ah! Yes! Aaaah! That's it! There – Yes!! Hmmm!"

"Told you so," Lupin stated dryly. After weeks and weeks of massaging Snape, using different potions and oils during the process, it seemed as if finally he'd managed to permanently ease the constant pain his friend had suffered from ever since Voldemort's snake had bitten and poisoned him. "It has taken me long enough, but now that this blockade is gone, a bit of regular exercise will keep your muscles smooth. No more massages needed. Unless you want one, of course."

Snape turned slowly and lay on his back. Hesitantly, he moved his shoulders – it felt good. Both arms were outstretched across the blanket, and he looked at Lupin with something like amusement. Actually, he looked content. "I might take up your offer," he said, and that caused the werewolf's jaw to drop.

"Are you serious?"

"Why shouldn't I?" Snape asked and finally decided to get up. Sitting on the bedside, he fished for his shirt and pulled it over his lean frame. Regular food in the company of his friends had done him a world of good, and he didn't look like a skeleton anymore. Buttoning the grey fabric, he continued, "Without you I wouldn't be able to move anymore, wolf. And your touch is not at all unpleasant. Now that Tonks is in Europe, I don't even have to think about her consternation in case I desired more than a massage."

"You... but... you're joking!" Remus gasped.

Snape grinned mischievously. "Of course I am, Lupin. I won't allow anyone to call me humourless."

The werewolf was still struggling for an answer, when downstairs loud bangs nearly broke the front door of Spinner's End. Relieved to be spared, Remus asked, "Are you expecting a visitor?"

Snape shook his head. "Only you, Hermione, Draco and Poppy know that I am here, and each of you can lower the wards without breaking the door down. It's probably one of the neighbours."

More banging, and now a voice calling out, "Stop it! I'm coming. Stop banging, for Merlin's sake!"

Remus grinned. "Hermione feels quite at home here, don't you think?"

Snape was already heading downstairs. "She's been here nearly every day since I moved back in, and she helped a lot with the renovations – this house was a disgrace, uninhabitable, before she took care of it. Of course she feels at home." Rushing past the living room, Lupin at his heel, he reached the door just before Hermione, who had been in the kitchen painting the ceiling white. Snarling, Snape ripped his front door open, expecting a neighbour complaining about the noise from the renovations. They had tried to be quiet and had put some minor wards up, but of course, a complete silencing spell was impossible. It would have been far too suspicious if a whole house got nearly torn down without as much as a whisper. "One more kick at my door, Mr Winterbellum, and I..."

Harry Potter, fist raised, stared at him for a small, dumbstruck moment, then screamed, "You lousy bastard!" and drilled his wand in Snape's chest. "How dare you to impersonate Professor Snape!"

The Potions master was so flabbergasted at this attack that he didn't even think about getting his own wand out. "What?" he said and looked down at the boy, who was pale and sweaty and seemed in quite bad condition, all in all. "Potter! You dimwit – why are you attacking me in my own home? And how did you find me here, anyway?"

Harry, wide-eyed and furious, shouted a Stupefy, but missed Snape by inches as he was shaking all over. The spell hit the wall, bounced back, and vanished in a shower of sparkles. "Who are you, you bastard?" Harry was shouting, and sweat was showing on his forehead. "I put a tracking spell on Hermione; she's been behaving oddly, lately, and never tells me or Ron where she goes. I followed her here, and find you and you dare... how dare you..."

Snape shot him an exasperated look, then half turned round to Lupin, who was standing in the shadows behind him. "First he lets me die and now decides he should address me with respect," he grumbled. "Had I known my death would have had such an impact on him, I would have let Nagini rip half my head off a lot earlier." Then he turned to Harry again. "Put that wand down, Potter," he said as calmly as he could master. "And then come inside. You look even more awful than I felt a couple of weeks ago. Pathetic, Potter, truly pathetic."

Harry swayed gently, but didn't lower his wand. His face had taken on an unhealthy, ashen colour. "How did you do it? Polyjuice? A glamour? Who are you, and..."

"Harry," Hermione interrupted him, pushed past Snape and thus stood between Snape and her friend's wand, which now pointed at her chest.

Very quickly, Harry lowered his weapon. "Look, Hermione, I don't know what's going on here," he began, then suddenly dropped his wand and steadied himself against the doorframe. "Sorry, 'Mione," he murmured and shot Snape a look full of uncertainty. "Feeling dizzy. Must be the sun. Could you... may I... some water?"

Lupin opened the door wide. Harry, seeing him only now, gaped. "What are you doing here?" he asked, wiping sweat off his face. "What's going on here and who... how..."

"Shut up, Potter, and get inside before you collapse," Snape snapped, quite irritated that he felt something close to pity for the boy. He clearly remembered the memories Lupin had given him a few weeks ago. The sight of Harry sitting on Hogwarts stairs, waiting for a portrait of his dead teacher to appear, had softened his usually coldly calculating heart. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked the young man. "Or slept? Goodness, boy... Oh, damn."

Harry, having stared at Snape with open mouth, had unceremoniously passed out. Snape, standing closest, had no other choice but to catch him or he would have hit the floor hard. "He could have broken his stupid skull," he snapped at both Hermione and Lupin whilst he carried Potter into his living room to put him on the sofa. "How would I explain that, Miss Know-it-all?"

"I didn't complain, Severus," she answered with a grin. "I just didn't expect you to catch him, that's all."

"Broken skull, blood splattered everywhere, soiled planks, and the problem of explanation would remain," Snape grumbled and knelt down next to the young man. "Hand me that bottle from the shelf, Lupin, will you?"

Apparently, the bottle in question contained something smelly, nasty enough for Harry to cough and gasp and to shoot up from the couch as soon as he sniffed it.

Snape placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Remain seated, Potter. You are in a disgraceful condition; I won't allow you to faint twice in less than ten minutes." Sternly, Snape looked at his visitor and could nearly see dozens of questions shooting through Potter's mind. He quirked his lips. "No, I'm not dead, Potter, in case you wanted to comment on that fact."

Harry stammered, "But, but, you..." and heavily slumped back into the soft cushions. As the sight of the tall, dark wizard was obviously too much for him, he focussed on Hermione instead. "He's dead, Hermione," he told her. "We saw him die. We were at his funeral. He's been dead for over two months and why are you here, in his house?" Confused, he ruffled his hair and shot the man who couldn't be Hogwarts' Potions master a sideways glance. "Besides, this one here," – he jerked his head in Snape's direction – "is obviously capable of taking showers and washing his hair and brushing his teeth, and he's not pale enough to be Snape..."

"Headmaster Snape to you, Potter," Snape stated, and Harry's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"You sound like him," Harry said, unsure. "You look like him and you act like him and you are in his house... But... I saw you die!"

"Repetition won't change the facts, Potter," Snape snapped and pointed at a plate of sandwiches standing on the couch table. "I'm not dead. Hermione healed the wound in my neck. When Draco Malfoy came to get my corpse, he found me still breathing, and hid me in a safe place. There he took care of me until I was close to killing myself simply because I believed the Dark Lord had won this awful war. At that point, he told Lupin, who called for Poppy. I'm surprised he didn't place an advert in the Daily Prophet, but then, it turned out to be for the best. Eat that sandwich, Potter, or I will shove it down your throat!"

Flabbergasted, Harry nibbled a bit at the soft, white bread. Then took a bigger bite. And another one. "That's good!" he exclaimed. "Didn't know you could make sandwiches like this, 'Mione!"

Hermione shook her head and held up her paint-covered hands. "Severus made it. He's the cook in the house. You'll find out for yourself, as I assume he will invite you to dinner."

Snape narrowed his eyes at that statement. "Or what, witch? I agreed to cook for my..." The smallest pause. "... my friends, but not for someone who insulted me and threatened to kill me only a few minutes ago."

"Harry eats with us or I won't finish painting," Hermione said with a sweet smile. "Because of your refusal to announce you're alive, we all suffered a great deal. Harry probably suffered more than most, and now you just caused him the shock of his life. Behave decently, Professor!"

"Yes, Miss Granger," Snape said obediently and only with a small subnote of sarcasm in the friendly words.

Lupin laughed. "You two are battling like a married couple. Stop it, or Harry will consider this a nightmare."

True, the young man looked positively like someone who had been repeatedly hit over the head with a large and heavy club. "Dinner," he murmured and got up on wobbly legs. "Prepared by Snape. Who is not dead, but Headmaster of Hogwarts. And lives in a beautiful house and not in the dirty hole I was expecting." He staggered towards the door. "He is not dead, but I am," he decided. "So I can very well have something to eat before... before..."

"Before you collapse again," Snape stated and took the Harry's elbow, leading him into the kitchen.

*********************

It was an early dinner, and Harry ate in silence, his eyes never leaving his former Potions master's form. Snape, sitting opposite him, was well aware of the fact that Potter craved answers, and so, when they had reached dessert, he gave him answers. He told the young man more or less everything, including his own pitiful state a few weeks ago. "So believe me when I say that what you need is regular food, eight hours sleep at night, and someone who kicks your arse whenever you threaten to fall back into a depression again," he stated dryly. "I assume your friends will happily do the deed, otherwise you can always turn to me."

"What I need is to tell you how very, very sorry I am," Harry objected and reached out his hand. "I'm sorry, Professor Snape. For misjudging you. For not trusting either you or Professor Dumbledore. He always said you were on our side, and I was too stubborn to believe it. I... I let you die and... and..."

"Lupin," Snape said, exasperated. "Slap him for me, will you? If I do it, Hermione will scold me, but I can't listen to this babbling any longer."

Remus folded his arms across his chest and looked stern.

"All right then, Potter," Snape gave in. "I accept your apology. And there was nothing you could have done for me. You killed the Dark Lord. That is much more than I expected of you, and I am most grateful that you were successful." With that, he took Harry's hand and shook it.

Harry grinned for the first time since the night he had killed Voldemort. With both hands, he grabbed one of Snape's and held fast. "And now you need to come with me," he urged. "To Hogwarts. You need to tell McGonagall that you are alive. Did I get that right, Umbridge is not going to be Headmistress? That's great! Ron will be there, he'll fall unconscious when he sees you. And Luna will say she knew it all along, and..."

"Good grief," Snape said and rolled his eyes. "I should have died, really. Less noise on the other side of the veil."

"Less fun, too," Lupin reminded him and placed his hand at the small of his friend's back, thus pushing him out of the kitchen and towards the Apparition point. Hogwarts was waiting.